“To Dream of Other Places” is an art installation by Emmanuel Osahor that is now showing at the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. All pieces have ties to a garden in one way or another.
The exhibit starts with a seven etchings in a series titled “A Chair Outside”. Using different techniques, Osahor presents his version of different garden scenes that he is familiar with – gardens in which he has found solace.
Etchings are made using metal plates covered with an acid-resistant substance (usually wax). An image is created by removing sections of the wax and then subjecting the plates to acid. The acid will eat away the exposed metal. When the plate is then used to make a print, the exposed areas remain white. That’s a very simplistic description of the process because I know that there are lots of videos on the internet that can explain it much better!
The main part of the exhibit is a large room with walls that have been painted, floor to ceiling, in a fairly abstract garden scene predominantly in blue tones. This sets the scene, a night garden.
Several large paintings of garden scenes hang on the blue walls.
There is a second series of small etchings as well. More gardens, but this time based on visits to National Trust gardens in the UK.
My usual warning – these photos are pictures of pictures in a gallery setting. The real thing is much better. The paintings are bigger – a bigger experience and a bigger visual impact.
Osahor’s paintings and etchings are on display until mid September 2025.
as I walk Toronto 