Richmond Art Gallery moves into the new year presenting a major new group exhibition, The Chromophiliacs, from January 24–April 5. Featuring major works by Diyan Achjadi, Moozhan Ahmadzadegan, Charlene Vickers, and Jan Wade, alongside new commissions by Maru Aponte, Sandeep Johal, Yaimel López Zaldívar, Laura Meza Orozco, Osvaldo Ramirez Castillo, and Malina Sintnicolaas.
Photo: Byron Dauncey
The title of the exhibition’s draws from David Batchelor’s book Chromophobia — a term created to describe the fear of colour in European and North American culture, evoking stylistic homogeneity and artistic monotony. In contrast, these 10 local and international artists resist conformity through a diversity of craft practices and cultural traditions that explode with colour throughout the Gallery.
“Colourful works can be engaging and fun, but their deeper meanings can sometimes be overlooked,” says Richmond Art Gallery Curator Zoë Chan. “This exhibition aims to highlight the multifaceted dimensions of colour. The Chromophiliacs is hugely inspired by material practices — handwoven textiles like crochet and felt objects, and handmade books and prints — as well as non-Euroamerican aesthetics like Persian carpets, Caribbean tropical landscapes, and pre-Hispanic mythology. The artists use these visuals as starting points for artworks that embrace the politics of colour.”
Batchelor writes in Chromophobia, “Th(e) purging of colour is usually accomplished in one of two ways. In the first, colour is made out to be the property of some ‘foreign’ body — usually the feminine, the oriental, the primitive, the infantile, the vulgar, the queer or the pathological. In the second, colour is relegated to the realm of the superficial, the supplementary, the inessential or the cosmetic.” Chan argues that Batchelor’s words “feels especially pertinent today with the amplification of so-called ‘neutral’ hues in fashion, architecture, and interior design on social media, and the rise of white supremacist movements, where whiteness is equated with racial purity, to be protected at any cost.”
In addition to breaking up the dark winter months with colour, The Chromophiliacs offer an antidote to the principles of chromophobia by showcasing colourful works that engage with a wide range of techniques, genres, and perspectives, both personal and political. Moozhan Ahmadzadegan’s Ruth Paul’s Drag Race Iran, for instance, playfully pastiches the colour-filled Persian miniatures to express a defiant message. With a critical eye, Ahmadzadegan references Iran’s laws — and many proposed laws in the US — banning drag performance and restricting LGBTQ2+ rights.
Vancouverite Malina Sintnicolaas’ deeply personal works – complex crocheted sculptures embody organic forms — through tactile materials and working with embodiment and emotional energy, her latest work The Red Queen articulates her relationship with experiences of depression, trauma, and anxiety.
Charlene Vickers’ series of felted “hybrid ovoids” — carefully cut, stitched, and beaded by hand — has been steadily growing since 2017 creating a body of work that explores and affirms her own identity as an Anishinaabkwe artist living in Vancouver, far from her traditional ancestral territories.
For The Chromophiliacs, the Gallery’s entrance will be transformed by a spectacularly futuristic title wall, designed and hand-painted by Yaimel López Zaldívar. A graduate of Havana’s Instituto Superior de Diseño, López Zaldívar brings a strong graphic sensibility and bold colour palette to his printmaking, paintings, illustrations, and animations. His experimental artist book Ciudad will also be featured in the exhibition.
The Chromophiliacs runs January 24 to April 5, 2026 at Richmond Art Gallery Richmond Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond. The exhibition gets underway Saturday, January 24 with an Artists and Curator Talk and Tour from 2–3pm followed by Opening Reception: 3–4 pm – join several of the exhibiting artists along with curator Zoë Chan for an informal tour of The Chromophiliacs.
Find more exhibition and programming information at richmondartgallery.org/thechromophiliacs
Also watch for Family Day programming coming in February to the Gallery.