Smurfistan

In collaboration with Art Metropole, onestar press is publishing a new artists’ book, Smurfistan, by Canadian artist Jamelie Hassan. The bookwork presents fragments from her recent Smurfistan installations of the spatial realm of the room of a young child. The smurfs, created by Peyo, were very popular among children in the 1980’s. In this calamity of children’s toys - Smurfs preside and soldiers, cowboys, dragons, dinosaurs dispute with each other. Hassan focuses on the world of a child, learning situations and the rupture of socio-cultural norms. The bookwork also contains a companion text, "Children & Social Spaces: Why Did Derrida Say No" by Ottawa-based fiction writer Marwan Hassan.

Jamelie Hassan was born in London, Ontario and continues to make this her home. Her works are part of numerous collections, such as the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. In 2001 she received the Governor General’s Award in recognition of 30 years of contribution to visual arts in Canada.