Submitted by SALT SPRING ARTS
Salt Spring Arts is proud to present Unexpected Bateman as their 2025 Spring Art Show: a compelling exploration of Robert Bateman’s artistic journey.
The retrospective exhibition will be showcased at Mahon Hall from April 11 to 27, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Known worldwide for his masterful wildlife paintings, Bateman’s work is often associated with intricate detail and realistic depictions of nature. However, this exhibition reveals a different side of the artist.
Originally curated by Paul Crawford, director of the Penticton Art Gallery, Unexpected Bateman offers a fresh perspective on Bateman’s evolution as an artist.
“It challenges viewers to look beyond the familiar and consider the journey, one marked by curiosity, experimentation and bold choices, the cumulative impacts which have contributed to Bateman becoming one of Canada’s most celebrated artists,” said Crawford.
The exhibition showcases works from Bateman’s early years, when he was influenced by abstract expressionism and modernist movements, as well as lesser-known pieces that highlight his ongoing artistic exploration. This selection allows visitors to witness the development of an artist who has never ceased to grow, adapt and push creative boundaries.
Zoe Zafiris-Casey, co-curator of the exhibition, emphasizes the significance of this creative journey: “Robert has spent a lifetime honing his craft. As a young boy, he studied and rendered the flora, fauna and ecology around him — a theme which was to recur throughout his artistic practice. Over the years he explored various art movements and influences which shaped the evolution of his work, ultimately returning to his great love as a naturalist painter.”
“I’m delighted to have this unique exhibition come to Salt Spring from the Penticton Art Gallery,” said Bateman. “I hope people enjoy seeing my early art, plus pieces that have never been exhibited before.”
For Bateman, art is more than just capturing a scene — it is about connection to the natural world and an ongoing dialogue with the environments around him. This exhibition invites viewers to step into that dialogue, reconsidering not only Bateman’s legacy but also the nature of artistic evolution itself.
Unexpected Bateman is on at Mahon Hall from April 11 to 27. The exhibition’s opening reception takes place Friday, April 11 from 6 to 9 p.m., followed by a public interview with Robert Bateman on Sunday, April 13 at 6 p.m. Curator tours run at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 14. A related youth art exhibit and maker station runs concurrently in the hall’s Annex Gallery.
Purchase tickets and learn more at saltspringarts.com. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Bateman’s work in a new light.