About this Event
Fingerprint Gallery is thrilled to announce “small talk”, a solo art exhibition by Ella Thomas!
OPENING RECEPTION
Friday, November 6, 2026 · 6pm – 9pm
EXHIBITION HOURS
Open daily 11am – 5pm, November 7 – 15. Viewable by appointment afterwards.
📍 Fingerprint Gallery, 663a Market Hill
ABOUT SMALL TALK
“My work explores the art of noticing, engaging with the liminal spaces between perception and experience to destabilize preconceived notions of femininity and cultural identity,” you read from the white pamphlet at that art show your friend dragged you to. You stand there, pretending to understand the line drawn between what’s hanging on those white walls and the paper between your fingers.
“My practice is rooted in observation.”
Isn’t everyone’s?
I’m so bored of what is said to avoid saying anything. I could regurgitate my English degree—with distinction I might add—into three concise paragraphs, organized by the dulling hands of AI, but I know you wouldn’t make it to the end. And I wouldn’t blame you.
I can honestly tell you this: “small talk” is a collection of paintings about noticing the little moments: a glance, a gesture, or the shape someone’s mouth makes rounding off a sentence.
As the youngest of four, I love to learn by observing, so naturally, I fall under this cliché. But more than anything, I’m interested in becoming a better painter. Training my eye to see more so I can continue to improve my art, while you can keep guessing what it all means.
— Ella Thomas
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ella Thomas is a Vancouver-based painter working primarily in acrylic and oil on canvas. She learned to paint from her mother, Tanja Gardner, from an early age and has more recently studied with artists including David Shevlino in London, England, and Milt Kobayashi in Scottsdale, Arizona. ET works from observation, with a particular interest in female figures, movement, and intimate glimpses of everyday life. Her work hangs in private and corporate collections.
Event venue & nearby stays
Fingerprint Gallery, 663 Market Hill, Vancouver, Canada
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