Featuring works by Par Nair, Scott Sawtell, Vicky Talwar, and Hayley Chi Hay Chiu, this season explores themes of identity and self-care.

Vicky Talwar, Path to Transcendence (detail), 2024, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 76.2 cm x 101.6 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

What holds us together

Featuring works by Par Nair, Scott Sawtell, and Vicky Talwar
Curated by Anik Glaude
May 23 – September 7, 2026
Opening Reception: May 23, 2026, 2 – 4pm

The artists in this exhibition work within states of in‑betweenness, using painting to assemble the memories, relationships, and events that shape their identities. Through layered processes and intuitive construction, they build worlds that hold them together—worlds offering coherence amid shifting selves and unstable histories. Par Nair reframes gender roles through intimate engagements with personal archives and memory; Scott Sawtell probes psychological tension through gestural contradictions and unconscious imagery; and Vicky Talwar evokes spiritual reflection through natural elements and symbolic layering.

Their works become spaces of reflection and restoration, creating openings for connection, comfort, or possibility. Together, their practices unfold within the shared context of living and working in York Region, a place shaped by cultural plurality and continual transformation.

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Hayley Chi Hay Chiu, What does the cicada know of ice?, 2026, oil on canvas, 121.9 cm x 152.4 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Emerging Artist Spotlight

Featuring works by Hayley Chi Hay Chiu
Curated by Anik Glaude
May 23 – September 7, 2026
Opening Reception: May 23, 2026, 2 – 4pm

Hayley Chi Hay Chiu (b. 2001) is a Toronto-based, second-generation Chinese Canadian painter. Working primarily in oil, she holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from OCAD University (2023). Her practice traces an ongoing journey of becoming and a search for “home,” reimagining personal narratives through fable and fantasy.

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Associated Programs

Summer Exhibitions Opening Reception
Saturday, May 23 | 2 – 4pm
Free | Registration not required

Celebrate the opening of the Varley Art Gallery’s 2026 Summer Exhibitions with an afternoon of art and conversation. Meet the exhibiting artists Par Nair, Scott Sawtell, and Vicky Talwar and curator Anik Glaude, enjoy a sound healing performance by Buddhist monk Lama Jam, and take part in interactive activities.

Lunch and Learn with Scott Sawtell
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 12:30 – 1:30pm
Free | Online | Registration required

Take your lunch break with us and join an online talk with exhibiting artist Scott Sawtell. This session offers insight into Sawtell’s creative process and current work.

Exhibition Guided Tours
July 1 – September 7, 2026
Fridays: 7pm | Saturdays & Sundays: 3pm | Public Holidays: 3pm
Free | Registration not required

Join our Gallery Animateurs for free 30-minute guided tours of the 2026 Summer Exhibitions.

Painting with Thread with Par Nair
Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 1 – 4pm
Free | Registration required

Experiment with intuitive mark-making using needles and threads, including a floating embroidery technique that encourages spontaneity. Participants will create an embroidered work inspired by the current exhibitions. Suitable for all levels; all materials provided.

Process Over Product: Experimental Drop-in Art Workshop
Saturday, August 29, 2026 | 1 – 4:30pm
Free | Registration not required

Inspired by the current exhibitions, visitors are invited to drop into an open studio focused on experimentation. Explore mark-making, layering, and abstraction without the pressure of a finished product. All materials provided.

About the Varley Art Gallery of Markham

The Varley Art Gallery of Markham is a vital cultural hub for artists and diverse communities. A municipal gallery, we create meaningful conversations about Canadian art and society. We inspire local and regional audiences to engage with art through outstanding exhibitions and rich public and educational programs relevant to the communities we serve. We support artists from York region and seek to broaden access to the arts for diverse artists and cultural groups. We also share and celebrate the life and work of F. H. Varley, a founding member of the Group of Seven.

The Varley Art Gallery is situated on the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe. We are committed to reconciliation, partnership and enhanced understanding.

Varley Art Gallery of Markham
216 Main Street Unionville
Markham, ON L3R 2H1
varley@markham.ca
905.477.7000 ext. 3261

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Public Hours
Tuesday to Friday | 12pm – 4pm
Saturday and Sunday | 10am – 5pm
Monday | Closed

Summer Hours
Monday (June 29 – September 7) | 12pm – 4pm
Tuesday to Thursday | 12pm – 4pm
Friday (June 5 – September 4) | 12pm – 8pm
Saturday and Sunday | 10am – 5pm

Admission:
Free

Accessibility:
Our venue is accessible, with automatic door openers to enter the building and exhibition spaces. One accessible washroom is available.

For more information, please contact:
Jessica Li, Communications
jessicali@markham.ca