CARL WHITE: 21 Meditations

What is love? Where do our dreams take us? What does it mean simply to be?

In 21 Meditations, Calgary artist Carl White turns these enduring questions into a compelling new exhibition of paintings and sculptural works at Christine Klassen Gallery.

A well-known and admired member of Calgary’s creative community, White has developed an unmistakable visual language that feels at once raw, poetic and deeply human. The exhibition brings together his trademark street-stylized portraits, immersive wave-scapes and enigmatic vessels, alongside a new series of cast-concrete objects.

Each of the 21 works opens a different door. Faces emerge with the presence of contemporary icons. Waves suggest movement, memory and states of mind. Vessels hold the promise of something contained—or something missing. The concrete objects bring White’s imagery into physical space, giving weight and permanence to ideas that can otherwise feel fleeting.

For White, meditation is not about emptying the mind. It is about watching the mind at play: seeing thoughts rise and disappear like waves upon the sea. 21 Meditations invites viewers into that experience—to pause before each work, follow where it leads and encounter their own questions along the way.

“We are myriad beings in a state of flux,” White says, “always changing and shifting in our act of being.”

Although connected through White’s distinctive imagery and curiosity, the works are not chapters in a single story. Each stands on its own as an encounter, a provocation or a moment of recognition. Together, they create an exhibition that rewards both a first impression and a longer look.

21 Meditations continues White’s evolving exploration of art history, contemporary culture and the mysteries of human experience. The answers remain open. That is part of the invitation.