Gwenessa Lam

Bust No. 1A

Gwenessa Lam

About the Artwork

What appears to be a photograph is in fact a meticulously rendered drawing by Gwenessa Lam. A close look reveals a figural bust cloaked in a thin, semi-translucent veil. This bust was one of several sculptures and objects that Lam discovered in an old estate, during a residency in upstate New York. All were wrapped or covered, but this one was particularly enthralling because of the loose, almost see-through nature of the draping. The covering is simple, even haphazard, as if to allow the sculpture – and its untold history – to breathe. Lam recreates this hauntingly beautiful tableau in immaculate detail, resisting the temptation to reveal the bust in its entirety. Instead, the figure remains an enigma, exactly as the artist originally found it, shrouded in captivating mystery.

Bust No. 1A

2017
Framed silkscreen on paper
Unique
12" x 16"
Estimate: $3,000

Courtesy the artist

About Gwenessa Lam

Gwenessa Lam (b. 1978, Vancouver, BC) is a visual artist and educator. Her artwork stems from interests in perception and the compression of time and memory within images. Lam received her BFA from the University of British Columbia and MFA from New York University. She has taught at New York University, the University of British Columbia, and the Alberta University of the Arts. She has attended residencies at Skowhegan, MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Banff Centre.   Her work has been exhibited at the Bronx Museum of Art and the Queens Museum of Art in New York.  Gwenessa lives and works in Vancouver, BC and is currently Associate Professor at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.