The Polygon Gallery announces finalists for the 7th annual Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize

Commemorating The Polygon’s five-year anniversary, this year’s prize will support shortlisted emerging artists with an increased cash prize

NOV. 10, 2022 (VANCOUVER, CANADA) — The Polygon Gallery is thrilled to announce the finalists for this year’s Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize, all of whom will be featured in The Lind Prize 2022 exhibition from Dec. 10, 2022 to Jan. 29, 2023. The seven artists have practices that span diverse photographic mediums, from print to video installation, scanning to collage. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of The Polygon Gallery’s opening, this year’s cash prize has been expanded to $10,000 with the generous support of Philip B. Lind. Additionally, through the generous support of Quay North Urban Development, each shortlisted artist will receive $2,500.

“Since 2016, the Lind Prize has recognized young artists for their clear-eyed creative visions,” says Reid Shier, director of The Polygon Gallery. “This award has made an impact on the lives of many emerging artists in BC. We look forward to supporting even more talented individuals who contribute so critically to Vancouver’s vibrant art scene.”

The following 2022 finalists were selected from more than 50 nominations: Simranpreet Anand, Wei Chen, Sidney Gordon, Natasha Katedralis, Jake Kimble, Aaron Leon, and Katayoon Yousefbigloo.

The Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize is awarded annually to an emerging BC-based artist working across the mediums of film, photography, or video. Artists are nominated by staff and faculty from established arts institutions, organisations, and post-secondary programs from across the province.

This year’s winner will be selected by a jury of arts professionals, comprising: Emmy Lee Wall, Executive Director of the Capture Photography Festival; Richard Hill, the Smith Jarislowsky Senior Curator of Canadian Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery; and Samuel Roy-Bois, artist and Associate Professor in Creative Studies at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. In addition to the cash prize, the winner will have an opportunity to produce a project with The Polygon Gallery. The 2022 winner will be announced at an award ceremony on Jan. 26, 2023.

Previous Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize winners are: Charlotte Zhang (2021), Laura Gildner (2020), Jessica Johnson (2019), Christopher Lacroix (2018), Marisa Kriangwiwat Holmes (2017), and Vilhelm Sundin (2016).

The Lind Prize 2022 opening reception will be held on Thursday, Dec.15 at 7pm. For more information, visit thepolygon.ca/exhibition/the-lind-prize-2022.

Banner Image: Katayoon Yousefbigloo, How to Lift a Curse (Amazing Transformation Video!), video still, 2022

About the artists

Simranpreet Anand interrogates the so-called neutral audience in multicultural society through the usage of materials that resonate beyond the typical art gallery context. She holds a BFA with Honours in Visual Arts, with a second major in Psychology, from the University of British Columbia.

Wei Chen studied at Focal Point: The Visual Art Learning Centre, where he graduated with a diploma in Photography and received graduate honours. Wei is currently in his final year of BFA study at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Sidney Gordon focuses on experimental analog filmmaking and alternative photography, through eco/chemical processes that challenge the way viewers conventionally interact with everyday structures and materials. They hold a BMA in Film + Screen Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

Natasha Katedralis is interested in the underlying logic of the material world and its forms, working with debris or imagery from a natural environment translated through a process of photographic collage. Natasha holds a BFA from the University of British Columbia.

Jake Kimble works with themes of existentialism, narcissism, and the strange to examine the absurdities that exist within the everyday. He holds a BFA in Photography from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and a Degree in Acting from Vancouver Film School.

Aaron Leon uses photography and media art to explore the stories of Splatsin, part of the Secwepemc Nation, where he grew up. He is currently attending UBC Okanagan in the Interdisciplinary Graduate program researching Secwepemc histories, and holds a BFA in Photography from Concordia University.

Katayoon Yousefbigloo investigates sites where aesthetic, spiritual, and collective experiences of transformation can occur within the crevices of the seemingly impenetrable structures of capitalism. She is currently completing her MFA at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts.

Press kit and photos
bit.ly/TheLindPrize

Press contact
Ines Min
604 440 0791
ines@inesmin.com