Artist Statement

In my work, I attempt to understand land as an active participant and collaborator to which I must cultivate the capacity to listen. Unfolding such work is aimed at developing ecologically sustainable visions of the future. If land isn’t perceived as just a repository of resources, but, with us, a being-in-relationship, how must we change what we do? Walking the liminal boundaries of curated landscapes, my painting and drawing practice reflects on the concepts of nature and place. My work is an excavation into the manipulation, manufacturing, and manicuring of landscape, underlining the ways in which the land reveals and conceals itself.

Biography

Luke (he/him) was raised in Calgary, AB where his interest in landscape was first inspired by the human interventions that are encroaching on the foothills, mountains, and prairies of Southern Alberta. He completed his undergraduate degree in visual arts at the University of Victoria in 2016 and completed his MFA at NSCAD in 2021. Luke has shown in Canada, Denmark, and Finland. His practice is currently developing walking, drawing, painting, and photography as methods to expand his understanding of the more-than-human and the impacts of exploitative human activities.