Discovering Lost Bodies: An Interview with Artist Brendan Fernandes an article by Austin Henderson photography by Jaclyn McConnell Like all art forms, visual art has a special power in allowing us to think about ourselves, and to learn something new. Visiting an art museum or gallery lets viewers uncover volumes about their cumulative past, present, and future. On the Queen’s campus, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre allows students to experience the wonderful power of visual art. One of the Agnes’ current exhibitions, Lost Bodies, is by Canadian artist Brendan Fernandes. The exhibition explores ideas of cultural identity through a display of print, textile, costume, performance, and video. With special attention to the traditions of ballet and African tribal dance, Fernandes’ work questions the visual customs that shape the representation of African art in Western museums. Fernandes graduated from York University with an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art. He later went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts at Western University, and subsequently partook in the Whitney Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. His work has been shown in many galleries, including The National Gallery of Canada, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum. This past December, Fernandes was named one of the “17 Visual Artists You Should Know in 2016” by the Huffington Post.
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