In the Year of the Horse, come to experience a rare convergence of art and equestrian heritage in King City - renowned for Olympic-level training and world-class riders. Discover the legacy of the horse through the evocative works of prominent Canadian artist Ann Clifford, complemented by an exclusive live horse show at a nearby farm where her lifelong connection with horses began, and an optional fine dining experience at a historic former carriage inn.

Event Highlights:

• Equine Art Show

• Cross-cultural talk

• Live Horse Show

• VIP Speech

• Light Refreshments

• Historic Dining (Optional)

About the Exhibition:

Throughout human history, few animals have shaped civilization as profoundly as the horse. From conquest and the expansion of trade routes to the rhythms of daily life, this enduring relationship has been inscribed across both Eastern and Western art and culture, manifested in bronzes and paintings, historical narratives, grand portraiture, monumental sculpture, and even the visual language of contemporary design.

Yet beyond function and representation lies a deeper, often overlooked connection: a shared sensitivity between horse and human. As a companion across centuries, the horse stands as a mirror, reflecting not only our movement, but also our emotion and perception. This exchange transcends the physical. Only when we begin to approach this relationship with mutual respect and equality do we truly begin to understand this being that has accompanied us across generations.

This exhibition explores this evolving relationship through the work of Ann Clifford. Having grown up alongside horses, she has developed a bond that extends beyond subject and image. For Clifford, the horse embodies maternal love, the freedom of childhood, a source of psychological solace, and a path toward self-reflection. Her practice integrates Western sculptural techniques with philosophical influences rooted in Eastern thought, as explored and developed within the Bauhaus methodology. Her works carry the memory of touch, the energy of movement, and a quiet intensity of presence, tracing a relationship shaped over time.

King City has further deepened this dialogue. As a center for Olympic-level equestrian training, it is home to world-class riders and a living culture of horsemanship. Here, Clifford’s artistic journey is grounded in lived experience from designing awards for local polo competitions to forming lasting relationships with equestrian communities. Through her engagement with liberty training, she has witnessed the profound trust cultivated between horse and human. Her work moves beyond anatomical study to engage with the horse across physical, emotional, and perceptual dimensions. In this context, true horsemanship emerges not from control, but from understanding: a shared pace, a shared breath, and a shared rhythm of movement.

Presented in the Year of the Horse - an important symbol within the Chinese zodiac associated with vitality and freedom, this exhibition brings together these interconnected threads. Through Clifford’s tangible and expressive visual language, it connects the equestrian legacy of King City with the universal bond between horse and human. It invites us to listen, to another being, to nature, to a presence that resists language. In so doing, we also encounter a reflection of ourselves, our awareness, our sensitivity, and our capacity to attune.

About the Artist:

Ann Clifford is a Canadian multi-media artist and accomplished animal and figurative sculptor. As a practicing professional artist and graduate of OCAD University Fine Arts in Toronto, Canada, Ann Clifford has created artworks for the corporate world, equine organizations, government and tourism. Her artworks have been featured in major exhibitions such as the Interior Design Show Toronto and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, prestigious retail venues and high-profile locations like Yorkville and the new Marriot Hotel in downtown Toronto, and is part of notable collections including Janet Rosenberg Studio, The National Bank of Canada, and CIBC Wood Gundy.

Growing up on a farm near King City, Ontario, Clifford built a deep connection with horses from an early age, caring for them, studying them, and forming a bond that would become the foundation of her creative practice. She has since created works for Equine Canada, Eventing Canada, Grand Prix Jumping, International Polo Events, and the local historic restaurants in King City. Mayor Steve Pellegrini is also a prominent collector of her first large scale equestrian wire sculpture. As co-founder of the Urban Youth Riding Project, she developed Equine Facilitated Learning and Community Building programs for teenagers, social workers, and law enforcement, using the horse as a partner in fostering trust, therapeutic connection, communication, and personal growth.

This early connection remains at the heart of her work today. She explores the anatomic beauty and the free spirit of the horse through various media, from concrete, stainless steel, and bronze to wire. Her artistic approach is shaped by Bauhaus principles, synthesizing Western technique with Eastern philosophy.

With a keen understanding and mastery of anatomy and a sensitivity toward abstraction, she explores the profound relationship between nature, the human form, and cultural identity.