Don Kwan

A third-generation Chinese Canadian, Don Kwan turns to his own experiences and challenges of being a gay, East Asian artist as a way to ground himself in broader conversations about identity, representations, and intergenerational memory-making in the diaspora.

Sited on the lawn of the Mockbeggar Plantation, Bonavista, This land is my land, this land is your land (2022) draws on a common object—the iconic Muskoka chair—to explore complexities of belonging, inclusion and exclusion. The Muskoka chair is a symbol of Canadian culture that is often associated with the great outdoors, leisure activities, and cabin culture.  However, it also highlights the ways in which cultural symbols can be exclusionary, as not all individuals may have access or privilege to leisure and/or land, inferring tension between guests, hosts and the uninvited.

On view at the Salt Fish Plant in Catalina, Kwan’s Disco Lantern (2020) combines the form of a lantern typical to Chinese restaurant decor with the functionality of a dazzling disco ball. A hallmark of queer culture, the disco ball can transform any space to one of celebration and community.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Don Kwan is an interdisciplinary artist based in Ottawa. Working in sculpture, installation, photography and performance, Kwan explores place, identity, representation and family memory across time. His work has been featured in exhibitions at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Gardens, Hall of One Hundred Rivers, Vancouver; Ottawa Art Gallery; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; and Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff. In addition to his practice as an artist, Kwan is known for co-running the Shanghai Restaurant in Ottawa with brother his brother Ed. Opened in 1971, the restaurant was a local landmark both for its food and the art exhibits and shows run there by the brothers.