Jo Daisy Gowan (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist living, working, and experiencing on the lands of the lək̓ ʷəŋən people, colonially known as Victoria, BC. Prior to 2021, Jo lived and grew up on the lands of the Anishinaabeg and Huron-Wendat peoples, colonially known as Kawartha Lakes, ON. She is currently obtaining a BFA in Visual Arts with Honours at the University of Victoria, and since being there has been the recipient of the Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Award and the Takao Tanabe Undergraduate Award in Visual Arts. Jo’s work has been included in group exhibitions in spaces such as The Audain Gallery (Victoria, BC), SAW Centre (Ottawa, ON), SweetPea Gallery (Victoria, BC), The Orillia Museum of Art and History (Orillia, ON), and has exhibited a solo show at Kawartha Gallery (Lindsay, ON). In addition to their art practice, Jo has worked in the arts and cultural sector as an art educator/facilitator, programming & curatorial assistant, and administrator for an arts/environmental non-profit. Their work and practice is also deeply informed by their professional/personal experiences as a caretaker for folks in both early and final stages of life.
Jo Daisy Gowan’s practice is informed by their dedicated interests in applied philosophy, ethics of care, and somatic experiencing. Jo describes her painting process as akin to alchemy, prayer, and dance. By layering and stripping dense and delicate veils of colour, meeting playful gestures with careful repetition, the trace of touch is a vital part of the work. The canvas becomes a portal to the spaces between us that are felt but not seen. Jo’s approach to art-making and life-living is centered in the constant learning and unlearning of what it means to be a responsible witness.
