Presented by the OCAD University Career Launcher Program and Partial
OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers and Partial are excited to share that artist Hau Pham currently has work installed as part of Gladstone House’s Art Program. Hau Pham was selected as an artist in the OCAD U Showcase on Partial, a curated collaboration of emerging artists and designers noted for their standout skills and dedication. As Toronto’s longest continuously operating hotel and following an extensive renovation, Gladstone House is thrilled to reopen its doors in the heart of West Queen West. Built in 1889 and steeped in history, this landmark property features traditional light hardwood floors, restored exposed brick walls and locally curated art throughout the building. Currently 41 guest rooms feature art and additional work will be added to the rest of the rooms over time.
Lee Petrie, Curator at Gladstone House (and the former Gladstone Hotel), explains why art is such an important part of the newly renovated Gladstone House: “As soon as guests step into Gladstone House, they are greeted by work by local artists. We’re thrilled to have work by more than 50 artists throughout the hotel, from the fitness studios to the guest rooms. In this phase of adding art to our guest rooms, we worked with OCAD University and Partial, making a connection not only with a new artist, but with local arts institutions. We love being a part of the arts community – it energizes the hotel and creates a unique experience for our guests.”
Petrie selected two works by Pham for the program: Double the Luck and Break Ya Neck. Both works are oil on canvas and explore complexities and connections of colour, religion, family, and wealth. “The gold chain and jade pendants in my works are familiar to those who grew up in Buddhist households, where gold represents prosperity and jade symbolizes protection and wellbeing,” says Pham. “Many young East and South-East Asians youths wear this jewelry daily, but the outward understanding of this jewelry from onlookers can be conflated with wealth, materialism, and glamour.”
The paintings will hang together in one of the exclusive guest rooms of the hotel until the end of 2022, welcoming some visitors back to Toronto after a long global hiatus of travel since the pandemic.
About the artist: Hau Pham is an emerging artist based in Vaughan, Ontario. She is a 2021 graduate of OCAD University, with a specialization in Drawing and Painting, and continues to work at OCAD’s Faculty and Curriculum Development Centre as a Community Animator. Her work draws heavy influence from her South-East Asian Heritage and Buddhist beliefs. Her practice relies on the intersection of one’s relationship with the object, and the perception of Asian women in the western world. Hau’s research and inspiration is largely pulled from her personal experiences, and from her friends and family who fit into the same group identity. Her works are both a reflection and investigation into the guilt, exhilaration, and confusion of the Asian feminine experience.
Shop Now Hau Pham’s Work
Discover over 50 juried artists on the OCAD U x Partial Showcase by clicking here, and discover more art by emerging Canadian artists on the site, from abstracts to figurative to landscapes and more.
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If you are an OCAD U student or graduate interested in joining the Showcase, please submit an application to the CEAD.