Opening Reception: Thursday, May 8, 6–8 p.m.
Meet the Artists: Saturday, May 10, 2–3 p.m.
Farsi Tour: Saturday, May 24, 2–3 p.m.

Frozen in Time features the work of three local artists whose practices explore the passing of time–whether through the impermanence of beauty, the reconstruction of architectural spaces from memory, or an examination of how architecture can serve as a marker of time.

Silvia Tagusagawa’s body of work titled Eternal Echoes of Nature, explores themes of resilience and impermanence. Her delicate botanical and marine life ceramic sculptures symbolize life’s transience. Through her work, Tagusagawa transforms this fleeting quality into an expression of lightness, beauty, and hope—seeking to inspire renewal and optimism while balancing life’s hard truths with the healing and uplifting power of art.

Nejood Al-Sehrewerdi’s mixed-media collages are recreations of cultural and sacred places drawn from memory, lived experiences, and imagined journeys. Her work reflects a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for the rich heritage of Islamic architecture, from the grandeur of mosques to the intricate details of historic cities. Layered with acrylic paint, intricate embellishments, colourful threads, beads, and mosaics, each piece fuses memory with imagination, breathing life into past and present.

Crystal Rassi’s paintings examine how architecture and home serve as markers of time, memory, and cultural identity. Inspired by the pandemic as a period of stasis—a time when movement, work, and social interactions were frozen—her paintings explore specific architectural and cultural moments by using ice cream as the frozen catalyst to connect to the historical period. Through residential architecture, cultural landmarks, and structures built in response to societal needs, Rassi invites viewers to reflect on how time shapes our environments and collective experiences of place. A nostalgic colour palette, inspired by vintage ice cream treats, further reinforces the concept of frozen moments, both literally and metaphorically. Each painting tells the story of a home or structure rooted in a particular era, highlighting architecture’s role in preserving the past even as society moves forward.

About the artists

Crystal Rassi is an award winning, internationally collected visual artist from North Vancouver, Canada who specializes in oil paint. She is heavily influenced by her educational and work history in architecture and design, as well as the five different Canadian provinces she’s lived in. Her work is well recognized by her contemporary surrealistic style that explores different defining factors of home that encompass cultural, environmental, and economic situations. Rassi’s expertise lies within her ability to manipulate perspective.

Each painting begins with a series of sketches that lead into photo collages, painting studies, or mini sculptures, that is then translated onto canvas. Crystal currently mentors aspiring artists in the world leading online mentorship company called Mastrius and teaches regular in-person art classes at the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture centres on the North Shore of Metro Vancouver.

Silvia Tagusagawa is a Brazilian-born ceramic artist of Japanese descent. Currently residing in West Vancouver, her work draws from Japanese, Brazilian and Canadian influences, in addition to her deep connection to Baroque and Art Nouveau styles. Tagusagawa holds an MFA and doctorate of Visual Arts from the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), where she also taught ceramics. Further studies at Sheridan College and Vancouver Island University enriched her practice and deepened her sensitivity to ceramics as a poetic medium.

Tagusagawa’s work has been exhibited in national and international venues, include IX Aveiro International Ceramics Biennial in Portugal, the IX Kapfenberg International Ceramics Biennial in Austria, and the 20th L’Alcora International Ceramics Competition in Spain, earning awards and honours.

Nejood Al-Sehrewerdi is a North Shore-based artist, born in Baghdad, Iraq, who has lived in the Middle East, Canada, and the UK. A self-taught artist with a deep passion for art and craftsmanship, she works across various mediums to create unique, one-of-a-kind compositions. Al-Sehrewerdi‘s practice work is deeply influenced by Islamic art and architecture, Arabic calligraphy, and ethnic jewellery.

Her work has been exhibited at the University of Baghdad Art Gallery in a collection of oil paintings, as well as in juried and group exhibitions, including Kay Meek Art Gallery (2012), the Ferry Building Gallery’s Windows on Culture (2015), Art! Vancouver (2016), and Hollyburn Country Club (2017).  

Opening reception treats by Thierry.