Aperture featuring the photography of Matthew Dairon, Kevin Hogarth & Darrin Hagen
January 29th to March 1st, 2026
Main, Lower and Second Level Gallery Halls
L0 - The Truth of Film by Kevin Hogarth
The Truth of Film invites the viewer to stop and take a step into the rural prairie landscape.
This exhibition of Kevin Hogarth's recent work shares his vision through the viewfinder of a late 1940's camera and the use of twenty-five year old outdated colour slide film, cross-processed in colour negative developer. The images were composed full frame and wound by hand to advance the film resulting in cinematic, dream-like double exposures. To enhance the experience of the softness of the lens and the grain of the film, the images have been produced as large format archival Giclée fine art prints.
L1 - For the Love of Landscapes by Matthew Darion
In his first gallery exhibition Matthew Dairon shares his exploration of work during his travels across Western Canada. Dairon's ability to capture still moments that transcend time while revealing his love for the raw beauty of the prairie landscapes invites the viewer to step into each moment captured.
L2 - iskald by Darrin Hagen
Iskald, which translates from Norwegian to "ice cold" invites the viewer to see the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis. Hagen has a long history with Theatre Network as an actor, director, playwright and designer. He has been taking photos of the world as he sees it for over 20 years and in this exhibition captures rare abstracted images with surprising depth and diversity, existing only in the brief collision of melt and freeze, captured before rapidly vanishing, destroyed by the sun.
From Hogarth’s dream-like, analog prairie scenes created with vintage film and cameras, to Dairon’s contemplative landscapes of Western Canada, and Hagen’s striking abstract images formed in the brief collision of melt and freeze, Aperture invites viewers to slow down and experience the poetic depth of the world as seen through three unique lenses.
ARTIST BIOS
Kevin Hogarth
Kevin Hogarth was thirteen years old when he decided to become a photographer. He graduated from the Swift Current Comprehensive high school in 1977. In 1979 he was accepted into the Photographic Technician course at Red River Community College in Winnipeg, where he graduated with a certificate in 1980. Today, he has more than 40 years of experience as a professional photographer.
The truth of film. Kevin captures ninety percent of his creative work on film. He feels, like vinyl records in the music business, film is making a comeback within the photographic art industry. With years of experience of working in the darkroom, he now produces his work as archival Giclee fine art prints. Since his first spark in becoming a photographer, he has always wanted to be an artist. He has decided to pursue this desire into his semi-retirement years.
Matthew Dairon
Matthew’s love of nature and the outdoors has grown throughout his life – and guided him towards the path he chose in his post-secondary education and career in Environmental Science. Living in Western Canada, Matthew is fortunate to have access to a variety of amazing landscapes including the Rocky Mountains, Aspen Parkland, Badlands and Prairies. Through his images, he strives to capture the beauty of these landscapes and wonderful wildlife that calls these areas home.
For Matthew, photography is a way to slow down and connect with the natural world. He looks forward to the opportunities that photography continues to present and the places it will take him. Matthew lives in Edmonton, AB with his partner and their two dogs.
Darrin Hagen
Darrin Hagen is an award-winning playwright, documentary maker, author, artist, composer, and Queer historian. He has created over 40 plays, dozens of published articles illuminating the history of sexual minorities in Alberta, and is Artistic Director of the legendary Drag theatre company Guys In Disguise. He has 7 Sterling awards, and 2 AMPIAs. In 2005 he was named one of 100 Edmontonians of the Century. He was inducted into the Q Hall of Fame Canada, and was named by AFA one of the 25 Most Influential Alberta artists in the last 25 years.
Darrin's abstract photographs have been shown and published across Canada as well as internationally. Additionally, his work inspired a collection by fashion designer Stanley Carroll.
In 2025, Darrin won The Edmonton Film Prize for writing and directing Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, his first film, which has been shown in cities across Canada and the U.S. as well as over a dozen screenings in Poland, Germany, Israel, Albania, Slovakia and Switzerland. Pride vs. Prejudice has been nominated for an AMPIA award for Best Documentary and won the AMPIA award for Best Composer.
This summer a collection of three of his plays will be published by NeWest Press. The Crown Collection will feature With Bells On, The Empress & The Prime Minister, and the play version of The Edmonton Queen.