Kostuik Gallery is pleased to present our first solo exhibition of new paintings; by emerging Canadian artist Ghislain Brown-Kossi entitled “Believe”. Fertility, 2022, as seen pictured above, is one of five large panels in the exhibition, each spanning 48 inches. Smaller works, titled after Egyptian gods and goddesses such as Osirisand Apis, are on canvas and framed. Measuring just 21 x 17 inches, they reflect the intimacy of the context in which they were created. Additionally, many of the smaller works relate compositionally to the larger paintings in this exhibition. For example, the small painting Horusmirrors the composition of a larger painting, Sky, as Horus is the Egyptian god of the sky.In Believe, Brown-Kossi reactivates the ancestral symbols that he is known for using in his artworks. Inspired by various geographical locations and cultural groups, the symbols are reworked and given new context. Manipulating them in this way, the artist’s intention is to free them from the temporal, spatial, cultural and religious constraints and attachments that may exist, immersing the viewer into a new visual language. The unique colour combinations and built-up symbols made of plaster reinforce the idea of ‘artist as architect’ of an imaginary new world that is united through communication. The fluid, circular shapes and pop colours are both references to his African heritage whereas the opposing straight lines and muted tones are references to what is more commonly seen in Western cultures, both of which are important to the artist. Rooted in art history, other influences include the compositions and colours of Wassily Kandinsky, Ellsworth Kelly, KAWS, Supreme and Takashi Murakami. Historical references such as ancient architecture and bas-relief carving are also signaled in the texture and built up use of plaster.  BIOGRAPHYBorn and raised in Lyon, France, Brown-Kossi experienced great diversity throughout his childhood and schooling. His family’s heritage from the Ivory Coast and Ghana further provides the artist a background full of dialects and mixed language history. Presenting his first photographic exhibition in an apartment in Paris, he has since expanded his practice and exhibited in France, England and Canada. Currently living and working in Vancouver, BC, Brown-Kossi’s art has been included in a number of local exhibitions in the last year including at the Port Moody Arts Center, the Gibson Public Art Gallery, Seymour Art Gallery, Studio 17, Evergreen Gallery, and the Richmond Arts Coalition. He is also a member of several Professional art associations.