EXHIBIT
What: Atwood Illustrated
Where: Winchester Galleries, 2260 Oak Bay Ave.
When: Sept. 26 through Oct. 8
Note: Margaret Atwood will join artists Ken Steacy, Renee Nault and Johnnie Christmas for a reception Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Winchester Galleries
Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood is renowned for The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale, her groundbreaking 1985 novel on which the Emmy Award-winning TV series is based.
But a Victoria exhibition of original watercolours created in collaboration with the author will cast her work in an entirely new light.
Atwood Illustrated, which opens today at Oak Bay鈥檚 Winchester Galleries and runs through Oct. 8, showcases the illustrations that accompany the graphic novels created in tandem with Atwood by Ken Steacy and Renee Nault of Victoria and Johnnie Christmas of 91原创. It鈥檚 the first exhibition of its kind in Canada to showcase work in the field of graphic novels as it pertains to Atwood, according to Linda Hensellek of Winchester Galleries.
鈥淚t is not the norm, for a fine-art gallery,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 an opportunity to bridge the gap between graphic novels and comic art and fine art.
鈥淐ertainly, Margaret Atwood has endorsed that by supporting graphic novels, and has a love for it. There is a fine-art element to many of the works of all three artists, so we鈥檙e honoured and pleased to offer something different to our usual clientele.鈥�
The celebrated bestselling author is in Victoria this week for an appearance at the University of Victoria Farquhar Auditorium. Tickets to attend her conversation Friday with the university鈥檚 chancellor, CBC host Shelagh Rogers 鈥� about her new novel, The Testaments, a long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale 鈥� have been sold out for weeks.
But fans unable to get a ticket might have another chance to see Atwood during a reception at Winchester Galleries from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The author is expected to be in attendance for the official opening of Atwood Illustrated, at which the narrative watercolour illustrations featured in Steacy鈥檚 War Bears, Christmas鈥檚 Angel Catbird and Nault鈥檚 adaptation of The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale will be for sale to the public.
Hensellek said it鈥檚 unclear if the recent death of Atwood鈥檚 husband, Graeme Gibson, will affect the author鈥檚 appearance. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 heard, but we would certainly respect that decision. It will be up to her to see how she feels on that day.鈥�
Nault鈥檚 240-page graphic-novel adaptation of Atwood鈥檚 The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale was released to great acclaim in March, and will soon be translated into French, German and Chinese. 鈥淚t really was more warmly received than I could have dreamed,鈥� Nault said of the graphic novel, which came into being after she was approached by Atwood鈥檚 publisher, McClelland & Stewart.
Nault is an illustrator known for her editorial cartoons for the Los Angeles Times. Her artwork often accompanies book reviews in the newspaper, which is where Atwood likely would have seen work by the Victoria artist.
Nault began the graphic novel before the TV show aired, and said she was surprised by how down-to-Earth Atwood was in the face of international fame. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing working with Margaret,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have idolized her like so many other people have.鈥�
Atwood was involved with each project in Atwood Illustrated, to varying degrees. Steacy wrote and illustrated War Bears after seeing a 2017 short story (Oursonette) Atwood had written about a fictional comic-book company. Steacy pitched Atwood on the idea of expanding Oursonette into something larger, and she gave him the green light.
鈥淚 ran everything by her,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had a number of long story sessions that made sure she was happy with where I was going with the characters.鈥�
Steacy wanted to develop the story further with another series, but Atwood declined.
Christmas鈥檚 Angel Catbird series was a New York Times bestseller, and featured previously unpublished art by Atwood.
Steacy, who co-founded Camosun College鈥檚 comics and graphic novels program, wondered if Atwood is planning something of her own, having long been a supporter of the 91原创 comic-book industry and an illustrator in her own right.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a very good cartoonist, and I keep hoping that someday she is going to do a book of her own cartoons. She grew up reading comic books. That was her point of reference. It wasn鈥檛 TV. She has always loved visual storytelling.鈥�
