Rouzbeh Akhbari (Sculpture/Installation, 2016) is taking home a $5,000 award for his installation Institutional Stabilizer. Akhbari was one of 248 emerging artists to enter BMO's 14th annual Invitational Student Art Competition.
Artist Rouzbeh Akhbari installing his work
From the artist's statement:
"The Institutional Stabilizer series is the result of a yearlong investigative project on the genealogy of the Greco-Roman column as an imperial signifier of political will and social power on two local sites including the Canadian Heritage site, the Grange, and the art deco façade of the Bank of Nova Scotia's former headquarters in Toronto's financial district."
Akhbari is also the recipient of the 2016 OCAD University Medal for his program.
Presented annually, the BMO 1st Art! Competition recognizes visual arts excellence in post-secondary institutions from across Canada.
Deans and instructors of undergraduate arts programs from colleges and universities across the country were invited to select three outstanding graduating students from each of their studio specialties to make submissions to the competition.
All of the BMO 1st Art! winning works will be displayed at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto, from November 17 to December 17, 2016.
2016 BMO 1st Art! winners
National Winner ($10,000 prize)
- Nathan Levasseur, University of Alberta
Regional Winners ($5,000 prizes)
- Alberta: Joel Warkentin, Alberta College of Art & Design
- British Columbia: Elizabeth Villalva Granda, University of British Columbia
- Manitoba: Zahra Baseri, University of Manitoba
- New Brunswick: Jennifer McInnis-Wharton, New Brunswick College of Craft & Design
- Newfoundland & Labrador: Lucas Morneau, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia: Jordan Blackburn, Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University
- Nunavut: Alookie Alikatuktuk, Nunavut Arctic College
- Ontario: Rouzbeh Akhbari, OCAD University
- Prince Edward Island: Dylan McQuaid, Holland College
- Quebec: Alexandre Ménard, Université du Québec à Montréal
- Saskatchewan: Kristen Auger, First Nations University of Canada
- Yukon: Tyler Anderson, Yukon School of Visual Arts
See BMO Financial Group's website to view the winning works.
