Jan Wade: Soul Power

JAN WADE: SOUL POWER is the companion publication to the recent, much-celebrat- ed exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Although richly illustrated, this little book is deceptively modest looking, reflecting Wade’s inventive use of thrift-shop finds and her distinctive paintings and drawings on unbleached cardboard. Her emphatic art – from text works to embroidered banners to altar-like sculptures composed of found and recycled objects – draws upon her mixed cultural heritage, her family’s attendance at an African Methodist Episcopal church in her hometown of Hamilton, her research into Black history and culture in the American South, and her commitment to social justice ideals. Published by the VAG with essays by Daina Augaitis and Wayde Compton and an interview between the artist and Deanna Bowen.