Sears-Peyton Gallery is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition of Montreal-based artist Vinna Begin. Love is a place is a quiet exploration of love and acceptance through painting. The artist begins with intuitive drawing and allows gestures that arise from a sense of presence and curiosity. The images offer glimpses of the natural world, filtered through feeling rather than representation. Rooted in the simple joy of making, the process honors the physicality of the materials: pigment, binder, surface, and touch.

Growing up in Indonesia, Begin spent much of her childhood immersed in the lush landscapes and vibrant ecosystems that surrounded her. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature became an integral part of her upbringing, shaping her perception of the world and instilling in a deep reverence for the beauty and interconnectedness of the natural world. Inspired by traditions that permeated her childhood in Cirebon, West Java, she found solace and inspiration in the timeless wisdom passed down through generations.

Inspired by the spirit of E.E. Cummings’ Love is a place, the paintings invite us into a world where love is spacious and foundational—where affirmation, connection, and peace quietly shape the way we see and feel. This body of work is a celebration of being alive, of making, sensing, and simply being. It reflects a kind of gratitude that lives in the everyday: the beauty of the natural world, the warmth of light, the rhythm of change.