Holownia's photography goes beyond mere documentation, offering a contemplative reflection on the environment and its evolution over time.

It is a profound dedication to place and the act of looking.

(Nomination statement from Mireille Eagan, Curator, The rooms)

Honouring Thaddeus Holownia’s receipt of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, Canada’s most prestigious award for artistic achievement, the Mackenzie Art Gallery presents a commemorative exhibition, on view through May 2026.

Featuring the key elements of each winner's creative practice, the exhibition will showcase Holownia's works from the National Gallery of Canada’s collection—including Icarus, falling of birds (2017) and Rockland bridge (1981-2000)—in conversation with a suite of photographs from of a feather (2022), one of the artist’s most recent bodies of work.

Holownia’s work, marked by technical excellence and emotional depth, captures the beauty and complexity of our world and encourages a deeper reflection on our place within it.

(Mireille Eagan, Curator, The rooms)

(The exhibition is presented and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Gallery of Canada)