2 October – 16 December 2025
GVPL Central Branch
735 Broughton St, Victoria, BC
About the Artist:
For Pyx Sutherland “Painting functions as a spiritual compass. I paint to address the mysterious, a longing to understand the big questions. What are we doing here? Are we connected to something infinite? Do our lives matter? Painting explores these inner dialogues addressing the questions I cannot answer”.
Sutherland’s projects explore the connectivity of all life. They refer to nature at macroscopic and microscopic levels. The work is tactile – to be sensed, touched, and experienced. Found materials transform into sculptural installations, books, and wall works.
Sutherland exhibits internationally and her work is in a numerous public collections including the Canada Council Art Bank. She maintains a studio in Victoria and Hornby Island B.C. Her education includes a BFA (Hon.) from the University of Victoria, study at Emily Carr College of Art and Design, printmaking at the University of Sheffield UK, Ohara School of Ikebana, Shambhala Art teacher training, mandala painting in Nepal and numerous residencies include at the Banff Centre, Bau Institute with annual visits to Caetani House Vernon.
About the Work:
Mushrooms have long history of inspiring us…strange, otherworldly beauties straddling the plant and animal realms, officially within a unique botanical ‘kingdom’.
Mythologies world-wide associated with mushrooms fuel our fascination: natural, but also supernatural, magical, but also dangerous. They are associated with witchcraft, contribute to longevity, cause mysterious deaths, as well as hallucinogenic experience.
An obsession with mushrooms is no longer considered exotic or eccentric, we are well into a “‘shroom boom”. Being our closest cellular relatives’ mushrooms are increasingly appreciated for their healing and nutritional superpowers. Lion’s Mane to improve memory, Chaga and Cordyceps for immunity, Reishi for anxiety, Psilocybin for treating PTSD.
That we see so much of ourselves mirrored in mushrooms may be why they’re resonating so widely right now. Consider how interconnectedness (via sprawling subterranean networks of mycelium), is the very key to their existence. They embody remarkable qualities, resiliency, humility, tenacity, beauty, as well as connectivity.
And mushrooms can give us hope; seemingly small and insignificant, they have transformative powers greater than we imagine. They inspire a sense of wonder at a time when we all long for, even need, to believe in magic.