“Beneath the Petals”
Solo Exhibit by Charlene Johnson
July 27 – October 30, 2026
LOCATION
Wild Skies Art Gallery on the 2nd floor in The Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel | 4236 36th Street East, Edmonton International Airport T9E 0V4 Canada
Free to the public.
Family friendly.
Wheelchair accessible.
Exhibit Run:
July 27 – October 30, 2026
Opening Party:
Thursday, August 20, 2026, 7 – 8:30pm
All are welcome.
Exhibit Description:
This body of work explores the fleeting moments when the soft glow of spring sunlight transforms ordinary things into something quietly extraordinary. Drawing inspiration from the luminous interiors of flowers, gentle spring rain showers, and the subtle colours that reveal themselves when we slow down and notice, these paintings invite viewers into a world of quiet wonder.
Artist Statement:
I am an Edmonton-based visual artist whose painting practice explores belonging, identity, and emotional connection through portraiture, abstraction, and landscape. Working across these interconnected forms allows me to investigate both the visible and the intangible: the people we become, the places that shape us, and the inner landscapes we carry throughout our lives.
My work is informed by my lived experience as a Black woman, mother, and lifelong Albertan. These experiences have deepened my interest in themes of representation, resilience, beauty, and self-definition. Through painting, I seek to create spaces where viewers can pause, reflect, and recognize something of themselves within the work.
Portraiture allows me to celebrate presence and individuality, honouring the quiet strength and complexity of women. My abstract paintings explore emotion through colour, gesture, and layered mark-making, while my landscapes reflect a growing fascination with Alberta’s natural environment as a place of memory, belonging, and transformation. Although these bodies of work differ in subject, they are united by a shared desire to create images that foster connection, curiosity, and contemplation.
Painting is both an act of discovery and reclamation. My practice is driven by the belief that art has the capacity to expand our understanding of beauty, challenge inherited ways of seeing, and create space for multiple stories to exist simultaneously. Ultimately, I hope my work invites viewers into moments of stillness, emotional resonance, and a deeper appreciation for the richness of our shared human experience.
Artist Bio:
Charlene Johnson is an Edmonton-based Canadian visual artist whose painting practice explores belonging, identity, and emotional connection through portraiture, abstraction, and landscape. Working across these interconnected forms, she creates paintings that examine the relationship between people, place, and the stories we carry, inviting moments of reflection, recognition, and quiet contemplation.
Her work has been exhibited in The Female Gaze at The Paint Spot (2024), the Capital City Arts display at the Edmonton Public Library (2024), 5 Artists 1 Love at the Art Gallery of Alberta (2025), and in her solo exhibition Protect Her Peace through the YWCA Peck Visual Arts Program (2025). Her paintings are held in private collections throughout Alberta.
Drawing from her lived experience as a Black woman, mother, and lifelong Albertan, Charlene’s work reflects an ongoing exploration of representation, beauty, resilience, and our connection to the natural world. Whether painting expressive portraits, luminous abstractions, or atmospheric landscapes, she is interested in creating spaces where viewers can slow down, engage emotionally, and discover new ways of seeing themselves and the world around them.
Committed to continual artistic growth, Charlene’s practice is shaped by self-directed study, sustained studio experimentation, and an evolving body of work that contributes to Edmonton’s vibrant visual arts community.
