Back to the Grimoire: The Emerging Artists of the Occult

Selected from an Open Call, curator Lex Barrie has crafted a contemporary exhibition of works by emerging artists that address how artists utilize the occult in their art practice.

Occult comes from the Latin term “occultare”, meaning secret or hidden. As artists, we can pursue knowledge, fact, fiction and personal expressions in history, commonly defined as “other” – some rooted in the theology of feminism, individuality and deconstructing the so-called standards of conformity within societal borders.

The 26 artists in Back to the Grimoire: The Emerging Artists of the Occult all share the dictum of pursuing those subjects openly across various cultural and spiritual practices, using imagery that was once shielded from public view.

Exhibiting Artists: Dijana Bogdanovic, Nancy Dickieson, Jacqueline Gillies, Nicola Jacobson, Carin Katagiri Mahon, Anupa Khemadasa, Andrew LaRocque, José María Mancía, Stacy Athena May, Ryleigh McGinley, Aefa Mulholland, Azzara Nincevic, Mad Putnam, Edna Ruiz, Amiel Sandland, Santo, Heejung Shin, Kenneth St Onge, Erika Stark, Robin Suiffet, Kate Sutherland, Sherry Tu, Ualthum, Valentina, Danielle Vincent, and Joseph Willoughby.

Lex Barrie (they/them) is an emerging curator, art critic and multidisciplinary artist. As a queer eclectic wiccan, Lex uses unconventional subject matter to address societal and personal conflicts within their artistic and curatorial practice. They are an honours graduate of the Criticism and Curatorial Practice (CRCP) program at OCAD University.