Lionel Allingham and Nam Duc Nguyen

A Second Horizon: Lionel Allingham and Nam Duc Nguyen is the first exhibition in a series of artist pairings with the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie’s permanent collection as a starting point. In June 2023, curator Jessica Groome began exploring the Gallery’s vault, which consists of approximately 850 local artworks. Through getting to know the collection, Groome was immediately struck by the work of Lionel Allingham, and its uncanny connection to the work of Edmonton-born artist Nam Duc Nguyen. A Second Horizon showcases the surprising dialogue between Allingham and Nguyen’s practices.

For both artists, the factor that brings their work together is the landscape of Northwestern Alberta: the geometric complexities of snowflakes, the unearthly strangeness of the chinook arch, the intensity of the sun, the vastness of the sky. Despite the differences in their life experiences, there is an elemental essence in their paintings that connects them strongly to place. Embedded within the sometimes simple, sometimes minimal, sometimes vibrant abstractions of Allingham and Nguyen lie deep-rooted and soulful responses to their unique yet overlapping experiences of this particular region.

 

Curated by Jessica Groome

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

 

ARTIST BIO

Lionel Allingham (b. 1947, Tunbridge Wells, England) immigrated to Canada at an early age, and grew up along the Ottawa River. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in 1975. Following the completion of his post-graduate studies, he earned his diploma in Art Education (1976) and achieved honours in Studio Study. After teaching art in Montréal as funded by a federal grant (1973), he taught art in Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan (1976–1978). From there, he and his wife Daniela Allingham moved to a remote acreage in Goodfare, Alberta where they built their home and studio, and started a family. Soon thereafter, Lionel pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Calgary (1983–1986), and continued developing his brilliant career as an educator. He is one of the founding members of the Visual Arts Program at Grande Prairie Regional College (now Northwestern Polytechnic) where he taught from 1978–2005. To this day, Lionel and Daniela reside in their home of 46 years, in Goodfare, Alberta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ARTIST BIO

Nam Duc Nguyen (b. 1982, Edmonton, Alberta) is a Vietnamese-Canadian artist based in Berlin, Germany, where he has lived and worked for the past 15 years. In 2008, he earned his Master of Fine Arts from NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was there after awarded the Joseph Plaskett Foundation Award to travel and research painting in Europe. Through this research he discovered a deep interest with the painting craft of the Baroque era, which he then sought to integrate into his abstract painting practice. Subsequently, he undertook extensive research into producing his own oil paint and gesso from pure pigments, including course instruction at the Kremers Pigment factory in Aichstetten, Germany. He has exhibited across Canada and Europe and is the recipient of numerous residencies and grants, such as the William and Isabel Pope Painting Residency at NSCAD University and multiple Research and Creation Grants from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Artist website: https://www.nampainting.com/about

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Dale Grant

 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Featured Artwork in the poster: Nam Duc Nguyen, Untitled (detail), oil on canvas, 45×50 cm, 2021, photo courtesy of the artist.