Along the Way at Tap Art Space

Artists: Olga Abeleva, David Bellemare, Caroline Douville, Nadya Isabella, Philip Leonard Ocampo, Katayoon Yousefbigloo

Exhibition title: Along the Way

Venue: Tap Art Space, Montreal, Canada

Date: November 16 – December 17, 2023

Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artist and Tap Art Space, Montreal

Montréal, QC – TAP Art Space proudly commemorates its first transformative year as a commercial gallery and a remarkable five-year journey of exhibition programming with the opening of Along the Way, showcasing the works of Olga Abeleva (QC), David Bellemare (QC), Caroline Douville (QC), Nadya Isabella (QC), Philip Leonard Ocampo (ON), and Katayoon Yousefbigloo (BC).

Along the Way transcends being merely a title; it is a profound reflection of the journey TAP Art Space has undertaken since its inception as a nomadic art initiative. From the inaugural pop-up event titled The Adjacent Possible (TAP-1), through its two garage spaces in Montréal and Toronto, culminating in our flourishing present location in Montréal’s St. Michel neighborhood.

Embodying themes of movement, trajectory, and the passage of time, Along the Way aligns with TAP Art Space’s own narrative of change, adaptation, and growth.

Please join us for the opening reception of Along the Way on Thursday, November 16th, from 5-8 PM at TAP Art Space. This exhibition is part of the city-wide painting initiative Pictura.

About the participating artists:

Olga Abeleva (b. St. Petersburg, Russia) is an artist, writer and costume designer based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her paintings and performances build interconnected worlds that draw from soap operas, dreams, eastern european superstitions and other oral histories.

David Bellemare, a Montreal artist and MFA candidate at Concordia University, reimagines collage through painting and sculpture, merging the everyday with the sacred. His work, informed by the web, used books, and personal cultural history, challenges perceptions and invites contemplation.

Caroline Douville, a multidisciplinary artist with a BFA from Concordia University, creates artworks that blend varied ideologies and stereotypes. Her work reflects on mass media’s influence on our perception of foreign cultures and challenges the collective vision shaped by these narratives. Douville’s practice critically addresses the media-driven pessimistic views of self and others.

Nadya Isabella, born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang (Montreal), Isabella’s artistry is a rich tapestry of contemporary themes. An Emily Carr University graduate, her paintings traverse a spectrum from animal imagery to pop culture reflections, and ruminations on memory, love and daily rituals.

Philip Leonard Ocampo, an OCAD University graduate, based in Tkaronto (Toronto) is an interdisciplinary artist intertwining painting, sculpture, and writing to explore themes of worldbuilding and speculative futures. His work, steeped in magical realism and cultural reflection, is part of his broader dialogue on diverse lived experiences.

Katayoon Yousefbigloo is an interdisciplinary artist and musician from Vancouver exploring the role of media in shaping cultural myths. Her practice, spanning video, music, writing, and visual arts, critiques and reconfigures cultural narratives through the lens of speculative fiction. She holds a MFA from the School of Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University.

Along the Way, 2023, exhibition view, Tap Art Space, Montreal

David Bellemare, Deep Dive #1, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in, 2023

David Bellemare, Deep Dive #2, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in, 2023

Along the Way, 2023, exhibition view, Tap Art Space, Montreal

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Vanilla Jubilee (January), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Mint Neapolitan (February), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Carnation Breeze (March), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Citrus Aflutter (April), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Hot Cherry Punch (May), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Halo-Halo on the Solstice (June), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Saltwater Taffy Rain (July), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Sparkling Cider (August), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Key Lime Shortbread (September), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Red Velvet Melange (October), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Poppyseed Crunch (November), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Philip Leonard Ocampo, Yule Surprise (December), Acrylic gouache and graphite on panel, 14 x 11 in, 2023

Along the Way, 2023, exhibition view, Tap Art Space, Montreal

Nadya Isabella, Souveniers, Oil on canvas, 11 x 9 in, 2023

Along the Way, 2023, exhibition view, Tap Art Space, Montreal

Caroline (Erzulie) Douville, Haiti, December 24, 1945, Acrylic, oil and image transfer on canvas, aluminum, 15 x 15 in, 2023

Caroline (Erzulie) Douville, From Tetrodotoxin to Minecraft, Acrylic, oil and image transfer on canvas, aluminum, 10 x 5 in, 2023

Katayoon Yousefbigloo, CHESSMAN HAZARD CODE CHANGE HOUSEHOLD, Rearview video monitor, video 0:1:25 no sound, plastic beads, lighter, evil eye amulet, metal wire, 2.5 x 10 in, 2022