Brendan Tang with one of his Manga Ormolu works.
Presented by the Gardiner Museum, the award is decided upon by the public and comes with a $10,000 cash prize. In addition to Tang, this year’s nominees were Jason Holley of Newfoundland, Sarah Lawless of British Columbia, Janet MacPherson of Ontario and Julie Moon of Ontario. All have been featured in a related exhibition at the museum.
The series Tang has presented at the Gardiner, Manga Ormolu, mashes together influences from Chinese Ming vases to multicultural identity. Works from the series have toured the country in the last few years and consolidated Tang’s position as one of Canada’s most promising artists, ceramics-based or otherwise. In 2010, he was also shortlisted for the Sobey Art Award.
This year’s nominees were chosen by a panel consisting of Sandra Alfoldy, professor of craft history at NSCAD University and associate curator of fine craft at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; Canadian ceramic artist Rachelle Chinnery; Canadian ceramic artist Steven Heinemann; Jean-Pierre Larocque, assistant professor of ceramics at Concordia University; and Melanie Egan, head of crafts at Harbourfront Centre.
The RBC Emerging Artist People’s Choice Award exhibition, featuring Tang and all the other 2012 nominees, continues at the Gardiner Museum through October 7.
