News Archives: Fine Arts Alumni Lighting Up Holiday Mail
Sunday, December 12th, 2021
Morgan Zoe, alumni, has had his artwork selected by Purolator鈥檚 limited-edition holiday packaging campaign.
Morgan Zoe, a graduate of the GPRC Visual Arts and Design Diploma program, is proud to see his artwork travel around the world this holiday season as part of Purolator鈥檚 limited-edition holiday packaging campaign.
Nominated by last year鈥檚 featured artist, Morgan鈥檚 artwork was chosen as one of 13 box designs, commissioned by Purolator to celebrate emerging artists from each of Canada鈥檚 provinces and territories. The 2021 theme is 鈥楲ight Up the Holidays鈥 and highlights the uniqueness and individuality of each artists鈥 home.
Morgan鈥檚 design was selected to represent the Northwest Territories and features the outdoor surrounds of a red house, designed up off the ground and without a basement, as is typical for the region where he lives.
鈥淩ather than take a symbolic approach to the theme, I decided to create something really relatable that captures real-life in the North,鈥 explains Morgan. 鈥淚f you were to visit me, you could come see this actual house, complete with the tree and teepee in behind it. The smoker beside the tree is where my girlfriend鈥檚 grandma smokes hides, which she then uses to create moccasins, vests, jackets and other traditional clothing.鈥
He chose to include other personal touches, like his girlfriend walking his new puppy, but also intentionally layered in more universal elements so that it would resonate with a wider audience.
鈥淚 think people all over Canada can relate to the feelings created through the artwork - feelings of home and warmth and family,鈥 says Morgan. 鈥淚 used striking and contrasting colours to make the box stand out and to draw the viewer鈥檚 eye into the scene.鈥
Morgan had the chance to experience the broader Canadian perspective during his five years in Alberta, including two years as a Visual Arts student at GPRC. He credits his time there for having helped him build an expanded and more well-rounded skillset, and he believes the opportunity to focus on his artistic practice is what has allowed him to take his art to the next level.
The Purolator campaign came at a great time as, like many artists, Morgan felt his momentum stall as COVID-19 hit the world. 鈥淭he pandemic put a big dent in my plans to put myself out there as much as possible,鈥 says Morgan. 鈥淏ut I never stopped creating. I鈥檓 currently working on what I call my Mona Lisa - a 7鈥 by 4.5鈥 canvas that I have put somewhere in the ballpark of 240 hours into so far.鈥
Morgan, a member of the Tlicho people, describes his practice as a little bit traditional and little bit Indigenous futuristic. He describes the latter as projecting how Indigenous culture will transform in the years ahead. 鈥淚 believe this is a huge untapped market right now - something like street art in the 2000s.鈥
For now, you can look forward to possibly enjoying one of Morgan鈥檚 more traditional works wrapped around one of your holiday packages this season. But if one of his boxes doesn鈥檛 happen to land under your tree, you can check him out on Instagram at .
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GPRC鈥檚 Visual Arts and Design program and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) University Transfer program offer a balance of hands-on studio and lecture-based courses. Visual Arts students see the world differently, and that is why we鈥檙e proud to offer them a creative environment to hone their ideas and art pieces. Our facilities include a multi-use workshop; painting, drawing and sculpture studios with dedicated student work stations, and a computer lab with static media and video editing capabilities. Our faculty encourage, inspire and motivate students to explore the process. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for advanced studies at a university or an art institute. To learn more, visit .