By Stephen Weir

The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and the Sobey Art Foundation announced last week the 25 artists longlisted for the 2023 Sobey Art Award, Canada’s preeminent contemporary art award. With prize money totaling $400,000, this is the richest award for contemporary visual arts in the country for artists of all ages, and one of the most generous in the world. The annual prize is funded by the Sobey Art Foundation.

Trinidadian-Canadian artist Michèle Pearson Clarke is one of the artists in contention for this prestigious art award. Clarke is a visual artist, writer, and educator who works in photography, film, video, and installation. Born in Trinidad in 1973 and based in Toronto, she has exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Chicago, Lagos, Los Angeles, and Montréal. Last year, the Caribbean Camera reviewed her exhibition “Muscle Memory,” which was hanging at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.