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Shawna Ariel’s work and curatorial projects have been presented at artist-run centers, pop-up exhibitions, and alternative spaces across Vancouver, including James Black Gallery, Langley Arts Council, Access Gallery, Emily Carr University Zone 1, Object Corner and Neighborhood Gallery, Grey Lab, and other underground venues for experimental and interdisciplinary art and music. She currently curates for Champions of Hope, a Vancouver-based fundraising organization, and her work has been featured in publications ranging from Vice to online podcasts and independently run magazines. Ariel is actively involved in artist collectives and supports emerging artists and designers through promotion and collaboration, including her work with Last House Collective and EyeColor Collective. In addition to exhibiting her own art, she aims to elevate others’ projects through performative and collaborative approaches. Currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Ariel’s integrated practice of painting and curation is driven by the belief that art is transformative, capable of raising awareness, fostering connection, and inspiring meaningful change in communities and individual lives.

Vancouver needs a Peanut, 2026 Painting, performance and sculpture installation, oil and acrylic on modified canvas Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026 is an installation about the Vancouver sociopolitical crisis in relation to the past, Vancouver’s art scene, with emphasis on Vancouver artist Vincent Trasov, known also as Mr. Peanut. Vancouver Needs a Peanut , 2026 looks at the past as forms for critiquing the present, suggesting to viewers the need for a unifying, if unconventional, figure for positive change. A hero for the people who can represent and unite us all. Vancouver needs a peanut, but the real question is, is Vancouver ready? Vincent Trasov from 1969 to 1974 produced drawings, photographs, videos, and performances that explored the image of Mr. Peanut in popular culture. His most public project was in 1974’s Vancouver mayoral campaign, organized with artist John Mitchell. Running as Mr. Peanut Trasov used humor and absurdity to critique Vancouver’s political systems while also positioning himself, the artist, as a public figure. This blend of performance, politics, and media attention brought Vancouver into a broader conversation about contemporary, conceptual art, socio-politics, and the crossing over of each into public life. He ran on an art-centric platform, spelled out in an acronym: P for Performance, E for Elegance, A for Art, N for Nonsense, U for Uniqueness, and T for Talent. His campaign was him, running as a candidate in the civic election, dressed as Mr. Peanut. Some of his campaign slogans were: "People are used to electing nuts" and “New Era, A New City, An Artcity”. Mr. Peanut didn’t win, retiring his peanut costume when the tv cameras showed his face rather then the winner. He did however capture a lot of media attention and even an endorsement from beat writer William S Burroughs who said, "I would like to take this opportunity to endorse the candidacy of Mr. Peanut for mayor of Vancouver. Mr. Peanut is running on the art platform, and art is the creation of illusion. Since the inexorable logic of reality has created nothing but insolvable problems, it is now time for illusion to take over. And there can only be one illogical candidate -Mr. Peanut." Taking Vincent Trasov’s ‘Mr. Peanut’ and placing him in today’s current climate reactivates what he also critiqued then, particularly today. In a world dominated by capitalism, displacement, terrorized by climate change, corruption and war, it is important that we not only show care for the people and places where we live but also stand up to injustices. Adopting the Mr. Peanut figure today, timing it so it coincides with the Vancouver 2026 mayoral elections, highlights how little has changed since then and how much has intensified. Vancouver and the world need saving, but who will rise to the occasion? What will you do? Vancouver needs a peanut, 2026 not only shows the cities collective identity, but "How 'now" is constantly repeating the patterns of 'then' " as Rodney Grahm put it. Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026 is a pentaptych sculptural painting installation and performance composed of five oil paintings on canvas, ranging from small to large. The installation also includes 2 small sculptures of golden peanuts. Made using pop-culture photos, modified and upcycled materials, this work questions civic identity, sustainability, and the role of the artist in times of crisis. Art can heal and overcome. This installation uses found and donated materials, drawing references to Walter Benjamin’s idea of the “ragpicker”. The “ragpicker” as someone who gathers and reassembles overlooked fragments of history to challenge dominant narratives. The way the paintings are installed are each arranged around the largest Mr. Peanut painting. The smallest peanut painting must be placed closest to the floor. This is the painting that contains the peanut that grounds Vancouver, and the whole installation. Each painting depicts different versions of Mr. Peanut. The largest Mr. Peanut painting contains photo conceptual references from Vancouver artists and is sized at 76” x 52”. The second to largest painting is a performing Mr. Peanut, tap, tap dancing away sized at 47” x 30”. There is an almost monochrome Mr. Peanut, with photos of his past collaged across him and neon yellow paint streaked across his face, sized at 21” x 16”. Fourthly, there is a Mr. Peanut with his hands on his face, mouth shaped in an o. He looks very worried, sized 4.5” x 5.5”. Lastly, the smallest of all the paintings, a tiny match box painting of Mr. Peanut with his cane. Poking out of the matchbox can be seen, a little gold peanut, sized at 1” x 2”. In the largest painting of Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026 installation, you can see Mr. Peanut breaking out of the painting, confronting the viewer directly. This scene feels familiar, drawing references from a popular scene in the original “1984 Ghostbusters”. Both Mr. Peanut and the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man, striking a similar ghostly tone and pose. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is the legendary "Destructor Form", a giant, paranormal manifestation of a fictional marshmallow mascot. How does this coincide with the image of Mr. Peanut? Maybe Mr. Peanut is Vancouver’s fictional manifestation; the mascot the city needs to unite us all. Mr. Peanut breaks not only the fourth wall in this painting but also the sixth wall. By using documentary role reversal, referencing the collages of photographs within each painting printed from the internet of Mr. Peanut’s campaign in 1974. Not only does Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026 use documentary style photographs, but the installation also contains photo conceptual references from Vancouver artists. Behind the striking image of Mr. Peanut breaking the fourth and sixth wall, you can see photographs by well-known Vancouver photo conceptual artists, replicated in paint. Seen painted behind Mr. Peanut are references to works by: Rodney Graham and his Millennial Time Machine, 2003, Stephen Waddell’s photography like Asphalt Layer #1 2001, Ian Wallace, particularly his use of color fields. Also along the right are Kelly Wood’s Continuous Garbage Project, 1998–2003 and her series The Vancouver Carts, with Stan Douglas's Stanley cup riot photo from 2011. In this rendition, I used a reference photograph taken by the Polygon Gallery for its advertisement promoting a conversation with Samir Gandesha and Kate Bird on October 6, 2022. By reworking this image, I create a continuous mirror effect between the viewer, the artwork, and the artist. Referencing the Stanley Cup riots, the piece draws the viewer into the scene, positioning them as both observer and participant. The transformation of photography into painting further blurs the boundaries between documentation and interpretation. Continuing through the painting, above the polygon photo can be seen Jeff Wall’s Hotels, Carrall St., Vancouver, summer 2005 depicting Vancouver's construction, the city that never stops growing. Lastly, Stan Douglas’s Abbott & Cordova, 7 August 1971, 2008 takes up the full bottom of the painting. This photographic reference by him reconstructs a historical moment of unrest in Vancouver. During the 1971 Gastown riot, a peaceful “smoke-in” against the city’s use of undercover agents and in favor of the legalization of marijuana erupted into a conflict with the police, fueled by anger over the neighborhood’s gentrification. Abbott & Cordova, 7 August 1971, 2008 is a powerful example of photography as history painting. In my installation, Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026, this work is now replicated, but through modified materials and paint. This installation takes aspects from important parts of Vancouver's history which helped shape the cities art identity, and shows them through a medium which has been referred to as dead. According to Paul Delaroche, painting died in the 1840's. I disagree with Delaroche, as painting for me is crucial tool in exploring and understanding our history. Within the largest painting in the installation, Mr. Peanut can be seen at the center, popping out of the art to come help save the day. He is framed by the Vancouver's artistic past. Around him, a border of blue, mimicking the Expo 86 postcard of Vancouver. Expo 86 is crucial to Vancouver because it acted as a "coming-of-age" event that transformed the cities region into a recognized world-class city. This fair changed Vancouver's waterfront 'accidently' giving the city one of its most iconic institutions, Science World. With the 40th anniversary on May 2nd this year, Science world still lives as one of Vancouver's most exciting destinations. However in this depiction, Science World is more of a leverage for Mr. Peanut to come through the work. Also in the Expo 86 border, subtle changes have been added. For example, the writing has been changed from “Expo 86” to Mr. Peanut’s campaign quote, “A New Era. A New Mayor. An Artcity.” The painting asks for an Artcity, yet in context shows one as well. When it comes to the performative aspect of Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026, the performance revolves around two small golden peanut sculptures. One golden peanut is placed inside the Mr. Peanut painting matchbox that resides within the installation. The second gold peanut is intended to be placed on the highest point of function within the exhibition walls. This gesture is the beginning of the performance, which asks whether the city will accept the golden peanut, and by extension, the change it represents. The golden peanuts are meant to be made large enough that they cannot be swallowed by wildlife but small enough they can be carried away. Ultimately, Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026 uses what the city disregarded, gave away, framing it in a way that criticizes and contextualizes the city's history. By using humor, replication, and absurdity, this installation addresses serious questions about our shared political leadership, collective identity, and the cities ongoing crisis. What has really changed since Mr. Peanut's campaign? Are we repeating our past mistakes? What is the role of the artist during times of unrest? During a time of uncertainty, war, chaos, displacement, insecurity, poverty and fear, the figure of Mr. Peanut becomes a symbol of Vancouver's resilience. A figure of hope, showing that artists are not only observers, we are instigators as well. Mr. Peanut ran his campaign to show how absurd politics are, I now take his persona and use it as a symbol to show not only the absurdity of today, but how Vancouver's problems, and the worlds, have festered, becoming worse. Vancouver Needs a Peanut, 2026 asks whether the city is ready to stand up, fight corruption and work together to create and accept real change, or whether Vancouver will refuse the peanut once again. Essentially staying in its old toxic ways. My Home Vancouver, She's like a loaded gun, 2026 Painting and sculpture installation, oil and acrylic on canvas and upcycled casing My home Vancouver, 2025 Oil, pastel and acrylic on canvas, 64” x 83” installation My home Vancouver is a large painting on canvas off frame sized 60"x100". This painting is inspired by my travels through British Columbia, capturing the journey into Vancouver along the highway. At its heart, this painting is about home, community, and belonging. I love Vancouver deeply, its forests, its streets, its people. My family immigrated here, and I was raised by my mother and grandparents. This painting has allowed me to reflect on what makes a place feel like home: the people who live there, the communities that support each other, and our connections to our communities and our environments. Everyone deserves respect in our home and I want everyone to feel that sense of belonging in the places they call home, and through this painting. The works reflect how we find our identities through the land we inhabit and in the ways we practice reciprocity with the environment. She had to leave her flowers, Extracted, displaced, and disconnected. Adjusting was hard as cold winds blew, But here she knew she’d stay, For this land is kind. The little white flowers grew here too. Home is when I am with you. She is like a loaded gun, 2026 Sculptured oil painting, 18” L x 5” H x 3” W installation She Is Like a Loaded Gun refers to the mother of all things, Mother Nature, as well as the artist herself. In this work, Shawna Ariel reflects on her personal relationship with nature and hunting culture. While she is not a mother, the piece considers ideas of care, responsibility, and reciprocity with the natural world. As someone who hunts and fishes, Shawna Ariel believes it is important to practice reciprocity whenever possible. For her, harvesting her own food with care and respect feels more ethical and accountable than purchasing meat from a grocery store, where the processes of death and extraction are often hidden from view. This piece is her way of giving back within that cycle. The sculptural painting reflects the idea that all beings are carried by forces larger than themselves, moving with the currents of life and bound together within the same ecosystem. By transforming a wooden gun casing into a plant pot, the work challenges extractive capitalist relationships to nature, reimagining an object associated with death as one that instead nurtures and sustains life. Planted within it are Indigenous species she has grown from seeds gathered when visiting the Fireweed Fields project at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, along with ferns she grew from seed.