SK Arts | Qiming Sun

February 2023 marks the beginning of SK Arts' 75th anniversary year. On February 3, 1948, the Saskatchewan Arts Board opened its doors, supporting artists across the province. As we celebrate this milestone, we look to honour the past, the present and the future of the province's vibrant arts community with the We Celebrate You campaign. SK Arts asked 75 established artists to nominate one strong, emerging artist, program or training opportunity that makes the future of Saskatchewan arts exciting.

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Wayne Baerwaldt - Portrait photo on blond man wearing a gray jacket smiling

Photo credit: Sheila Spence

Wayne Baerwaldt

Wayne Baerwaldt is a visual arts curator and media producer based near St. Victor, Saskatchewan. As a gallery director and curator, he has worked at various cultural institutions including Plug In ICA (Winnipeg), Power Plant (Toronto) and the Illingworth Kerr Gallery/ACAD (Calgary). Recent co-curated projects and publications as an independent curator include If I May Digress: Richard Boulet and Collaborators, The Shadow of the Sun: Ross Bleckner and Zachari Logan (with Leah Taylor and Jennifer McGregor), Thierry Marceau: The Great One’s Back for Nuit Blanche Edmonton at the Art Gallery of Alberta and Meeting for Tea: On the Road to Decolonization (with Jennifer Crane, Kimisoo Goodtrack, Bryan Mulvihill, Qiming Sun, Xiao Han and others). He recently guest edited Issue #62 of PUBLIC, The Gender-Diverse Lens, and conducts ongoing research projects as a Michele Sereda Artist in Residence for Socially Engaged Practice at the University of Regina (Media Arts Performance and Hill/Levine Business Schools). He is a board member of the Hnatyshyn Foundation (Ottawa) and is on the Advisory Committee of Participant, Inc. (New York City).

Qiming Sun - Black and white photo of Asian man sitting in an art studio

Photo credit: Xiao Han

Qiming Sun

Qiming Sezava Sun is a Canadian artist and a practicing Witch based on Treaty 6 Territory. He received his MFA and High Honours BFA from the University of Saskatchewan. He specializes in oil paintings and sculptural works inspired by nature, symbolism, and Shamanic spirituality. His works have been widely exhibited, many of which are included in the permanent collection of several Canadian institutions and galleries.

Qiming’s work represents “…the sophistication of his practice.” – Wayne Baerwaldt

I am nominating Saskatoon-based artist Qiming Sun as a notable emerging artist in Saskatchewan. Over the two years since he graduated with his MFA from the University of Saskatchewan, I’ve met with him many times to discuss his work. On each occasion, he’s able to provide insights into the cross-cultural significance of his work and how his studio practice is unfolding in the particular context of Saskatchewan. He has developed a sophisticated practice in various media including ceramics, performance, drawing, text and new genre activities.

A specific body of work may be indicative of the sophistication of his practice. Stemming from his cultural heritage and spiritual practice, Qiming’s performance piece, Ancestral Tea • Dance of Phantoms draws inspiration from ancient tea ceremonies and the enigmatic shamanic traditions of the Yi and Nakhi tribes of Southwest China. He has produced stoneware clay vessels that act as beacons, or chalices to store and display various objects, from incense to gu worms and scorpions. His diary books act as a continuous, evocative drawing to explore his most intimate thoughts. Qiming’s latest performance incorporates ritualistic dances, artist-made costumes, sounds, visuals, and aromatic scents, bringing dynamic and multi-sensorial means for the audience to engage with artifacts and spirits in a ceremonial manner. He engages culturally specific approaches to making in each medium, incorporating artifacts from his collection of found objects along with his own finely crafted “performative” works. Further to his individual practice, Qiming has been collaborating with fellow Saskatoon artist Xiao Han as a founding member of Kyuubi Culture Artist Collective.