intimate observations: a retrospective of jan smith

This retrospective celebrates the work of Jan Smith, recipient of the 2022 Hilde Gerson Award, and brings together works spanning her multidisciplinary practice in jewellery, printmaking, drawing, and enamel. Born in Vancouver and based in British Columbia, Smith has developed a body of work deeply informed by close observation of the natural world and a sustained engagement with material process.

At the heart of the exhibition is an invitation to slow down and attend to the details often overlooked in everyday life. Smith’s practice reflects a sensitivity to surface, texture, and transformation, particularly through enamel, a medium that balances precision with moments of unpredictability. Through mark-making and material manipulation, her works reveal an intimate dialogue between artist and object.

The exhibition also considers jewellery beyond its conventional role as adornment. Removed from the body and presented independently, these works ask viewers to encounter jewellery as sculptural and conceptual objects in their own right. Alongside finished works, visitors will be invited to engage with unfinished pieces through touch, offering insight into Smith’s process and the tactile relationships at the core of her practice.

opening | 6-8p | jun 4 |2026
exhibition | jun 4 - jul 23 | 2026 open |10-5:30p | mon - sun
artist talk and private viewing | 7-9p | jun 11|2026 (ticket info to come)

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Host or Publisher Craft Council of BC