When The Void Stares Back: Beyond Patterns & Pixels by Ben Z Cooper Unearthly Garden Through waves of immigration into Canada over the past 350+ years, countless cultures have entered into the Canadian experiment. Families left their home countries with just enough to start a new life. Sometimes settlers gathered in enclaves which provided a reasonable facsimile to home and they became part of Canada’s “mosaic”. Many more people assimilated into “Canadian culture” and their own cultural stories faded away. In my youth, I was immersed in the new culture of video games. Hours were spent learning the stories and symbolism related to them. Now that I’ve matured, I’ve started to dive deep into my actual heritage. During this process, I’m combining the aesthetics of video games and traditional styles and symbols of my Ukrainian, Swiss, and Scottish heritage. Size: 20" w x 44" d x 60" hYear: 2023Artist: Ben Z Cooper
