Much of my current work draws from historical objects and domestic spaces as contested sites of collective memory.  Our personal as well as shared memories are frequently associated with key images, objects, and locations.  As such, I am interested in understanding the psychological and social implications when these artifacts are lost to disaster, censorship, or misidentification.  The content of my paintings and drawings are culled from public documentation of private spaces or artifacts, often brought to light by a catastrophe, error, or chance.  They depict singular objects, buildings, and tableaux in various states of erasure or repair.

Gwenessa Lam received her BFA from the University of British Columbia and MFA from New York University. She has taught at New York University, the University of British Columbia, and the Alberta University of the Arts. She has attended residencies at Skowhegan, MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Banff Centre.   Her work has been exhibited at the Bronx Museum of Art and the Queens Museum of Art in New York.  Gwenessa lives and works in Vancouver, BC and is currently Associate Professor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design.