In the gallery: August

Taken Up Into The Sky

Samantha Harrison

August 1 - 28, 2026

Richard as Zeus (Zeus Enthroned)

This August, we are proud to present Taken Up Into The Sky, a powerful exhibition by painter Samantha Harrison. Through her oil paintings, Harrison depicts various mythological figures such as Zeus, Hades, and Pandora in modern human bodies. These pieces examine how we as humans are connected to our spiritual figures and the God-like nature that we all possess. Harrison also attempts to disrupt racist and gendered narratives that are infused in spiritual mythology in her depictions of women and people of colour in her works. Her collection will be displayed for public viewing in the Leduc Arts Foundry (LRC Location) from August 1-28.

Top: Vivian as Hades

About the Exhibition

Samantha Harrison’s paintings usually feature a still-life, always painted representationally, and are often hyperrealistic. Her body of work contemplates the ability of historical painting techniques to elevate the concepts she chooses to represent. Painting, to Harrison,

gives an immense power and presence to image. What the artist chooses to focus on in their work brings attention to the subject and imbues it with value and political potential. For this reason, painters must keep painting. They must search for beauty, give it value, and pursue goodness through their work. Harrison’s practice has become more entrenched in these ideas with time. Her art has become a way to explore concepts such as truth, good, and evil, especially in her ongoing body of portrait works.

Artistic Practice

Samantha Harrison graduated from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, with a BFA in painting. She currently lives in Edmonton, AB, after relocating from Vancouver, BC in 2024. Her work consists primarily of oil paintings featuring traditional still lifes, or the human figure. She has won scholarships, including the Michael J. Fox Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship, the Vancouver Art Guild Scholarship, and the Ian Gillespie Aboriginal Art Scholarship. Her recent exhibition history includes Recreations of Myth and Spirit with the Sunshine Coast Arts Council in 2024, Arts2024 with the Surrey Art Gallery, and Visage, with West Vancouver’s Silk Purse Arts Centre in 2023, among others.

Calum as Pandora

Connect with the Artist

Follow Samantha Harrison’s work: