Libby Oliver
March 16 – June 15, 2021
The Victoria Arts Council is pleased to present this exhibition of newly imagined work from local artist, Libby Oliver. By reworking selections of past projects into new photo collages, Libby offers a rethinking of waste and the lifecycle of material practices. Past projects to be reworked include Soft Shells, in which she photographed people wearing every item of clothing they owned, and Objectify, where she photographed every object in a person’s room. Prior to the pandemic, Libby travelled the world photographing the intimate lives of strangers and loved ones alike, telling stories through the objects that people choose to surround themselves with. This survey of her work highlights what happens when an artist turns inward to reflect upon their own practice, as well as taking into account this past year which has reshaped our own perceptions of human connection.
Libby Oliver was born on the ancestral land of the Paskestikweya (Baltimore, Maryland). She lives on unceded Lək̓ʷəŋən territory (Victoria, BC), where she works on a community-based art practice. Her art has exhibited nationally and internationally, including a solo exhibition at the Musee de la Civilisation in Quebec. Her photo series, Soft Shells, has been featured in print and online media outlets around the world including the CBC, The Guardian, the Missouri Review, Der Spiegel and Il Post. Libby most recently completed an intergenerational artist residency at a senior care home (the Luther Court Society), in collaboration with Regan Shrumm and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV).