Darlene Cole | Love Song | Advance Preview

December 3 - 21, 2026
Bau-Xi Gallery | Dufferin
1384 Dufferin Street, Toronto

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 5th, 2 - 4 PM | Artist in Attendance

This December, Bau-Xi Gallery presents Love Song, a new exhibition by Darlene Cole. This body of work explores the relationship between human emotion and the natural world, where Cole creates expressive, atmospheric paintings that capture the complexity of love, connection and longing. Through layered textures, subtle shifts in light and colour, and gestural applications of oil paint, Cole evokes a sense of intimacy and quiet reflection. These paintings consider the ways we find beauty, comfort and connection in an increasingly uncertain world, inviting viewers to reflect on the moments and relationships that give life meaning.

Artist statement: 

Love Song brings together different ways of seeing and depicting human connectedness and the natural world. The paintings are about human emotion and my way of trying to hold on to a moment in the chaos of present-day.

In the studio, the act of painting is very solitary. While painting this body of work, I felt a presence with each work; being near someone, sitting beside someone, embracing someone. Light, texture, warmth, shadow were affected by the weather, natural light, music, daily walks and the movement of my hand and the oil paint itself as I thought about the expansiveness surrounding the word love and how it feels…or a longing for love…in a world full of tensions.

My hope is that we can get caught up in moments that really make our hearts beat and that we can hold on to what we have. – Darlene Cole, 2026

All artworks are now available for acquisition. To secure a piece, please contact us at 416-977-0600 or toronto@bau-xi.com.