From the Esker Foundation website:

Esker Foundation is pleased to present an in-depth look at Katie Ohe’s sculptural practice and her unparalleled approach to material, form, space, and movement.

This exhibition will bring together sculptural work spanning six decades of Ohe’s remarkable career, marking the largest and most comprehensive solo exhibition of her work to date. The exhibition will also draw from Ohe’s material archive, revealing a glimpse of a process devoted to research, inquiry, and visual or formal problem solving.

Ohe is best known for her abstract steel sculptures; organic forms that evoke the undulatory surface of a pool of water, the crest of a rolling hill or cumulonimbus cloud, or the cadence of a walking figure. The surfaces of many of these sculptures are subsequently chromed or polished, creating a flawlessly smooth exterior that conjures an illusion of weightlessness and is also irresistible to touch. Indeed, many of Ohe’s works are fully activated only by the push of a human hand. She remarks, “I want my sculptures to induce or invoke touch before you think that you really shouldn’t.”

Ever humble, Katie is grateful for the opportunities her life as an artist has provided. “Throughout both of our lives, we’ve been sponsored, had scholarships, had support and been able to travel while creating art. We’ve been extremely fortunate. So at this point in our lives, we feel we’re in the position to give back,” says Katie.

That’s why Katie and Harry created the sustainable, art-in-nature Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre in 2011 — to provide space, to provide stimulus and to provide research material for artists and students of all ages. Future plans for the arts centre include a 10-acre sculpture park, a 2,000-volume library, emerging artist programs, artist residencies, and a pavilion that showcases their large collection of contemporary art, including Matisse, Miro, Picasso and many Canadians.

All told, the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre will be a world-class, interactive, visual arts institution, so Katie and Harry can pay forward the support and inspiration that they received to coming generations of artists. In the meantime, Katie’s personal legacy — doing what you are — will continue to inspire creativity in Albertans from all walks of life.

Donate now to support Katie and Harry in their legacy project, The Pavilion and Arts Centre. CanadaHelps issues the tax receipt and you will know you are supporting one of the most unique and valuable projects around, one that only needs a little support to achieve success.