“The Power of Portraits”

“Each time I see you,
I see myself,
I see the past and the present.”
—from Gu Xiong’s You and I poetry-portrait of daughter Yu Gu.

Join artist Gu Xiong for a special tour of his poetry-portraits of himself, his family and his friends, followed by a “fireside chat” about the power of portraits to honour identity, self-expression and family.

Photography historian Dr. Kelly Midori McCormick will talk to Gu about the inspiration behind his portraits and his experiences as a first-generation migrant to Canada. Afterwards, participants will be invited to join and share their own personal, creative, or official (eg, passport photos, IDs, etc) photos or portraits with or of loved ones in a conversation on culture and identity across generations and visual expressions and documentations.

This special program is produced in partnership with UBC’s Critical Image Forum (CIF) and in anticipation of the artist’s forthcoming UBC AHVA faculty exhibition on campus.

This program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

 

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 1:00pm-3:30pm
Location: Museum of Vancouver
Tickets:
• Sliding Scale: $10-$25
(plus fees and taxes)

If tickets are sold out and you would like to be added to the waitlist, please email programs@museumofvancouver.ca.

VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE:

If you are unable to attend this event in person, please register for a live broadcast of the fireside chat portion of the event from 2:00pm to 2:45pm.