Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Takashi Iwasaki moved to Winnipeg to study at the University of Manitoba in 2002. He was attracted to Winnipeg's vibrant and supportive arts community and calls the city his new hometown. His practice diverges into many mediums from embroidery to painting to collage and sculpture. His work is bright and colourful, and he wants people to feel joy and positive feelings when they look at it.
Nadi is an award-winning landscape architecture, urban design and planning consultancy involved in the creation of innovative, resilient and engaging human environments. Meaghan Hunter is Nadi’s leader for public space and land art. She approaches every project with a balance between environmental sensitivity, community connection, artistic beauty and economic viability through the seamless integration of landscape, art and architecture.
In the Media:
- Landscapes/Paysages, Winter 2019 (vol. 21_no. 4, p. 34): Beautiful Bokeh, Activating the Winter Landscape Through Colour
- The Indo-Canadian Telegram, January/February 2019: Playful Artwork ‘Bokeh’ Lights Kildonan Park Pond, Will Be Enjoyed Year-Round
- Winnipeg Free Press, posted January 10, 2019: What's Up
- Canadian Art, posted January 10, 2019: News Roundup: Alberta Declares Month of the Artist, and More
- CBC Manitoba, posted January 11, 2019: A skating party, a WAG '80s flashback and heavy metal: CBC Manitoba's top weekend picks for Jan. 11-13
- Winnipeg Sun, posted January 11, 2019: OUT THERE: Winnipeg artist embracing the cold
- Global News Morning, posted January 11, 2019: ‘Bokeh’ is an interactive art display like no other
About Kildonan Park and Pond
Kildonan Park is a 39-hectare greenspace located between Main Street and the Red River in the suburb of West Kildonan in north Winnipeg, Manitoba. Established as the Municipality of Kildonan in 1876, this area was one of Winnipeg’s first residential suburbs, having been absorbed into the City of Winnipeg in the 1972 Unicity amalgamation.
Established in 1909, Kildonan Park is a highly-used regional park that has many characteristic features including the Peguis Pavilion, Rainbow Stage (Canada’s longest-running outdoor theatre), an Olympic-sized public swimming pool, and the duck pond. During the winter months, the duck pond becomes a skating pond for the public. The park has many playful and whimsical features attractive to children, especially the Witch’s Hut which illustrates the story of Hansel and Gretel, and the winter toboggan runs.
Modeled in the English Landscape Style, the original design by Park Superintendent George Champion was intended to highlight the area’s natural beauty consisting of woodland and open pasture and the water features of Lord Selkirk Creek and the Red River. Staying true to this Style, Champion integrated features such as formal gardens, bridges over Lord Selkirk Creek, sports facilities and playing fields, and curvilinear walkways and drives throughout the park. Today, it is home to some of the oldest and largest trees in the province, and is used for play, relaxation, exploration, socializing, and reconnecting with nature: an idyllic refuge within the bustling city.
The pond is located behind the Peguis Pavilion, which is the social hub of the park and has a restaurant with an outdoor seating area overlooking the pond. There are two bridges crossing the pond, linking the Pavilion to the north fields and offering contemplative views of the water and surrounding area.
