LORENA ZIRALDO
BORN IN ITALY but raised in Canada, Lorena Ziraldo debuted her exhibition A Conversation with a Painting… Continued on Jan. 25. Since graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2000, Ziraldo has held many exhibitions in various cities across Canada.
The Ottawa-based visual artist is known for paintings that are sophisticated, contemplative, impressionistic, and rich in colour. Showcasing repetitive fluidity, Ziraldo’s finely detailed brushwork conveys different possibilities of expressions through various uses of light, composition, and space.
Most of her paintings present a narrative quality and make the viewer want insight into the story told. Her current display conveys the unique theme of viewers observing artwork in a gallery setting. This showcases her experiences as an artist at art openings and how viewers may have looked at her work.
Looks like: Looking at a person viewing a painting at a gallery—kind of like Inception, but for the painting world.
Check it out: Her paintings can be viewed at The Orange Gallery (233 Armstrong St.) until Feb. 12.
—Edyta Dabrowska
LAUREN MANN AND THE FAIRLY ODD FOLK
MUSIC TODAY DOESN’T prioritize the relationship between the audience and the artist, but for Lauren Mann, the connections made through music are the inspiration for her song writing. After three tours across Canada and over 200 shows, she has succeeded in achieving that connection.
The group backing Mann is consistently changing—hence the name The Fairly Odd Folk—collaborating with the Calgary musician on her latest release, Stories from Home.
Combining Mann’s classical training with her jazz roots, the sounds on the album are more eclectic. The band keeps in tradition with an indie folk sound, but borrows from modern pop rhythms, making the record more diverse.
Top tracks include “Stow Me Away”, “Lost In The Sound”, and “Lady In The Yellow Dress”. The former sounding like an eerie but pleasant, carnival-esque song, while “Lady In The Yellow Dress” keeps the tempo upbeat and peppy.
Sounds like: The music of a casual, spontaneous outdoor summer concert.
Check it out: At Laurenmannmusic.com and live on Feb. 23 at the Elmdale House Tavern (1084 Wellington St. W.).
—Emily Glass
