THE ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR THE BLACK MADONNA AND GREEN TARA

Exhibition Dates: July 26 – October 12, 2025 Opening Reception: Sunday, July 27 at 2 – 4 PM | Artists in Attendance

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, July 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Art Gallery of Mississauga (AGM) is pleased to present The Search for the Black Madonna and Green Tara, featuring works by artists Winsom Winsom and Tara Darrall, on display from July 26 to October 12, 2025.

Over several decades, Winsom Winsom has expressed her own spiritual journey through her multimedia work and shared her knowledge as a mentor, teacher, and advocate for the arts. For this artist—who has travelled the world and now calls Mississauga her home—art and life are inextricably connected. Her work explores themes of freedom, survivance, resilience, and renewal within the context of the Black Atlantic experience. As a person of African, Maroon, Arawak, Spanish, and Scottish ancestries, Winsom draws from her mixed heritage to incorporate extensive symbolism and ritual references in her work, interpreting the elements, land, animal, and human presence within the context of Afro-centric value systems.

“My work explores human spirituality. I believe that spiritual and earthly experiences are deeply connected, and my art reflects that idea,” states Winsom.

Featuring both existing and new bodies of work by this senior artist and self-described “child of the universe,” The Search for the Black Madonna and Green Tara traces the trajectory of Winsom’s emotional, physical, and spiritual journeys. The exhibition includes an expansive collaborative project with Winsom’s daughter, artist Tara Darrall. Together, they explore the layers of their mother-daughter relationship through a suite of paintings. Guided by aspects of the seven chakras—the energy centres within our bodies—these works are a personal meditation on the artists’ intertwined development of their identities.

Curated by AGM Senior Curator Shannon Anderson, The Search for the Black Madonna and Green Tara offers audiences an opportunity to reflect on personal history, healing, and the spiritual forces that shape our lives. "Regular visitors to the AGM will recognize Winsom, who is a strong supporter of the arts and attends so many of our events,” says Anderson. “She and her daughter Tara Darrall have been incredibly committed to this project, and we are excited to share the extensive body of work they have created, which is being shown together for the very first time.”

The Art Gallery of Mississauga gratefully acknowledges the support of the City of Mississauga, TD Bank Group, Canada Council for the Arts, Rama Gaming House, and Charitable Gaming Community Good.

OPENING RECEPTION
The AGM warmly invites the public to the exhibition’s opening reception on Sunday July 27, 2025 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Registration for the opening reception is recommended but not required. Artists will be in attendance, with a special performance by Mississauga-based singer Shweta Kamerkar. Registration is recommended but not required. More information and registration details can be found at bit.ly/EventsAGM
For more information on the Art Gallery of Mississauga or to set up an interview with the artists and curator, please contact:

Christina Moss | Communications & Marketing | communications@artgalleryofmississauga.com

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ARTIST BIOS
An influential figure of the Canadian art world, Winsom Winsom has exhibited her work across Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean, including solo exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), the Image Factory Gallery (Belize), the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery (Kingston), and the African American Museum (Boston), as well as group exhibitions at the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto), A Space Gallery (Toronto), Articule (Montreal), Carleton University Art Gallery (Ottawa), and the 2024 Toronto Biennial, Precarious Joys. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards and grants, including an Honorary Doctorate from the Ontario College of Art and Design University, the Marilyn Lastman Award from the City of Toronto Arts Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Since 2021 she has been based in Mississauga. Winsom is represented by Clint Roenisch Gallery in Toronto.

Tara Darrall was born and raised in Canada and has been painting her whole life. Art and creative expression were an integral part of her childhood. In her mid-twenties, Darrall started exhibiting her work in outdoor art exhibitions, small galleries, shops, and cafes. With a desire to experience the cultures of other countries, she subsequently lived, painted, and exhibited her work in Mexico, Belgium, Korea, and Hong Kong. She now divides her time between Mississauga, Canada, and San Pedro, Belize, where she continues her painting practice, teaches art classes, and is the owner and primary yoga teacher of Zen Belize studio. She primarily works with acrylic paint on canvas, focusing on capturing the joys of life and fleeting moments in time, both real and imagined, through bright and vibrant colours, layers of detail, movement, and composition.

ABOUT THE ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA
The Art Gallery of Mississauga (AGM) is a public, not-for-profit art gallery and charity located in the Mississauga Civic Centre. Focusing on contemporary art, the AGM offers a diverse range of exhibitions, programs, and events that engage the community and foster an appreciation for the arts. Admission to the gallery is always free. The Art Gallery of Mississauga acknowledges City of Mississauga. Additional support for this exhibition is provided by the Canada Council for the Arts, Rama Gaming House, and Charitable Gaming Community Good.

Christina Moss
Art Gallery of Mississauga
+ +1 905-276-3200
Communications@artgalleryofmississauga.com
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