This February, Bau-Xi Gallery | Dufferin is proud to present Chroma II, a group exhibition featuring works by Alex Cameron, Mel Gausden, Celia Lees, and Eric Louie.

In artistic parlance, chroma refers to the purity and depth of a colour. An artist will employ chroma in a myriad of ways, whether it be a vibrant pop, pulling your eye towards certain elements of the composition – or a dark richness, creating a sense of contrast and depth.

Each of these artists uses high chroma in their respective practices. As a result, their work is bold and energetic, often applying paint directly from the tube, only adding tints, tones, and shades by necessity.

These artists can utilize these techniques to create uniquely stunning work, catching your eye, and drawing you in to absorb one colour after another.

The exhibition will run from February 5 - March 2, 2026.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

ALEX CAMERON (1947 – 2025):

Alex Cameron was a celebrated Canadian painter whose explorative relationship with colour and texture defined his work for over 50 years.

Immersed in the arts from a young age, Cameron was introduced to New York City’s Abstract Expressionist movement in the 1960s and witnessed concurrent and equally powerful experiments in abstraction back home in Toronto. The artist’s celebration of pure pigment characterized his canvases. His thick, painterly application lends lively sculptural form to both energetic landscapes and non-representational studies.

Alex Cameron’s paintings have been collected extensively in Canada and abroad. Notable collections include the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Bank of Canada, and The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Art Collection.

MEL GAUSDEN:

Mel Gausden (b. 1987) explores themes of personal and cultural identity through traditions of self-portraiture and landscape painting. Her work combines symbols and markers of Canadiana with painterly gestures, mark-making, and bold highlights. Neon silhouettes add a contemporary freshness and highlight the inherent distortion of personal narratives.

Gausden’s process is significantly determined by the length of time in which her source material is transformed by time into nostalgic images; a process that can take years. Once memories are bound to her images, the narrative emerges and is rendered in paint.

Mel Gausden earned her Bachelor of Arts at the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2009. She lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario.

CELIA LEES:

Celia Lees (b. 1996) is an abstract painter living and working in Toronto. Her artistic journey began as a search for self-expression and a deeper connection with life and herself.

Lees' abstract works seek to capture the ephemeral – creating while living in the moment, channeling inner emotions, and conveying that which cannot be articulated. The artist utilizes an abstract approach, allowing her to communicate through physical gestures and instinctual mark-making. She works with large applications of paint and deftly balanced compositions while embracing the chaos throughout the process.

The artist's work is held in private collections across Canada, the United States, as well as Europe and Asia. Her paintings have also been placed in commercial spaces such as 200 Amsterdam in New York, Aria in Las Vegas, and The Laurel in West Palm Beach.

ERIC LOUIE:

Eric Louie (b. 1977) is a Vancouver-based painter whose sculptural, organic abstracts allude to landscape, still life and even portraiture. His signature metallic, shimmering forms, achieved via many thin layers of luminescent glazes, are central to the virtual worlds he creates. Louie's works possess a chameleonic ability to exist comfortably among a multitude of aesthetics, from 1920s Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern through to the late 20th Century and into the forefront of contemporary design.

Louie holds a B.F.A from the Alberta College of Art and Design, where he was awarded the prestigious Jason Lang Scholarship. His work is included in numerous private and public collections including CIBC, Encana Energy, NBC Studios, Paramount and MGM Pictures, as well as the City of Calgary.

ABOUT BAU-XI GALLERY

BAU-XI GALLERY is one of Canada’s most established art galleries - founded in 1965 – with spaces in Toronto and Vancouver. Bau-Xi Gallery acquired Foster/White Gallery (Seattle) in 2002, most recently acquiring Canada House Gallery (Banff) in 2018.

July 2023 marked another milestone for Bau-Xi Gallery, as it opened its doors to a new Toronto flagship location at 1384 Dufferin Street, in one of Toronto’s fastest-growing arts neighbourhoods. The new location offers 22,500 sq. ft. of gallery space dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary painting, photography, mixed media, and sculptural works by Canadian and International artists. Most recently, in 2025 Bau-Xi Gallery celebrated 60 years of contemporary fine art.

For all press inquiries, contact: toronto@bau-xi.com | +1-416- 977-0600

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