Jennifer Hornyak: Gathering Colour

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday May 16th, 2–5 pm.

Artist in attendance

“I don’t want to do ‘flowers’—because as I always say, God does those! I use the image of a flower as a metaphor for myself.” Jennifer Hornyak

Gathering Colour was chosen by Jennifer Hornyak, one of Canada’s most beloved contemporary artists as the title for this special exhibition, inspired by a famous 17th-century poem she has cherished throughout her life. Its opening line—“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may”—resonated with the artist as a reflection of her own practice. Hornyak’s vibrant oil paintings capture ephemeral beauty through shapes and hues- passages of colour that are gathered into a unified expressive whole.

In Jennifer Hornyak's own words: "I call the collection of paintings 'Gathering Colour'. I like the idea of a word meaning collecting, enveloping and pulling to oneself. The scattered shapes in my paintings could be interpreted as petals or parts of petals that have broken away from the main image. Gathering Colour is expressing the idea that in slowing down enough, we might be able to see the beauty hidden in small and fleeting moments, inviting you to not only look but to feel. Colour is never still. We might gather these fleeting moments from landscapes, memory, grief and joy from people we love that somehow stay with us. Every painting is a collection of those fragments, layered, imperfect, emotional and alive. Colour can hold feelings before words ever can. A deep blue can become silence, a burst of yellow can feel like hope. Art, for me, is an act of attention, the beauty hidden in small and fleeting things, before they disappear. So, we must gather these moments and hold them close to our hearts."

When asked about her studio practice, Hornyak said "I work hard. I go to my studio every day. I believe in showing up even when I don't feel like it. I am often asked what and where do I get my inspiration. I am reminded of something Picasso said. 'Inspiration exists but it has to find you working'. I am a true disciple of that thinking." 

Oeno Gallery invites you to experience this evocative collection of new paintings created exclusively for this solo exhibition. For decades, the timeless and vividly colourful work of Jennifer Hornyak has been widely collected around the world. Acclaimed for her intuitive use of rich colour, gestural form, and visceral texture, her ‘flowerscapes’ and figurative compositions echo the European masters she once studied. Yet, Jennifer Hornyak's singular vision ultimately transcends tradition, blurring the line between abstraction and figuration.