Four decades of artwork by London, Ont. artist Jamelie Hassan is featured in the installation, At the Far Edge of Words, at the U of L Main Gallery from Sept. 16 to Oct. 29.

The exhibition, which is comprised of key pieces that intertwine her work as an artist with an enduring interest in text, language, memory, personal history and identity, is on a national tour circulated by Museum London.

"As soon as I saw the tour proposal from Museum London, I jumped at the chance to bring this survey of Jamelie Hassan's career to the Gallery," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator. "I have seen Hassan's work in different exhibitions over many years and have always been impressed with how she works with a range of artistic approaches to open up a dialogue about the ideas she addresses in her work. Hassan manages to explore both the specifics of her own locale and personal history, and yet also address bigger issues around hybridity and interactions between cultures."

Melanie Townsend, head of Exhibitions and Collections at Museum London, curates the exhibition.

"Hassan's practice has been distinguished by her use of a wide range of media – ceramics, watercolours, bookworks, photographs, video, and installations – from which she selects an approach best suited to the task at hand," says Townsend. "For example, watercolours, which are swift and portable, occupy much of her work made on the road, while robust installations are often employed to confront the complexity of cultural politics and personal history."

Hassan's work is in numerous collections including the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa); Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto); Glenbow Museum (Calgary); Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery (Vancouver); Museum London (London). In 2001, she was a recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual Arts.

The opening reception for At the Far Edge of Words is Thursday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m.