L. A. Pai Art Jewellery Gallery

05/31/2026

Monika Urbaniak's () designs are reminiscent of nature and the contemporary blending together. Her work has always drawn from found materials and these various earrings are no exception - the stones, linen, cord, and metals remind us of treasures found under the sea or in a forest. A collection of elegantly made pieces that feel both modern and traditional - they are for sure statement pieces! Come view these stunning earrings at 497 Sussex Drive.

05/31/2026

Mary Anne Barkhouse's Theatrum Insectorium series comments on how the insatiable engines of industry and empire underly the scenes of exoticism and romance represented here on ceramics intended for display and use.

The imagery suggests a better, more enjoyable life awaited if one were only to cross the ocean. Notably absent from any of the picturesque views and exotic designs are any inference to the clouds of biting insects or the hardships brought on by extremity of climate and the omnipresence of predators, the likes of which had long been eradicated from much of Europe by that time. What was instead being served, alongside the tasty morsels that would have been offered on this ware, was the ruthless and, in some cases, near total extraction of resources viewed as fuel for the fire of colonial expansion and conquest.

Natural resource extraction was largely carried out without the benefit of consultation or consent from the Indigenous inhabitants. In British Columbia, very few treaties had been negotiated, never mind signed, by the time that the wholesale destruction of old growth forests was well underway in the 19th century.

Come see these impeccably made porcelain plates with a larger story at 497 Sussex Drive!

05/08/2026

This second video shows Lydia making her new House ornaments that use paper tabs instead of tape or glue. These paper ornament patterns are original hand-printed linocut artworks in blue or red ink options on white card paper. Assembled, the ornament measures 1.5" x 1.5" x 3" (4 x 4 x 8 cm).
Enjoy! Thank you !

05/08/2026

has done such a marvelous job with these diy ornament videos that I'll post both. What a treat to be invited to participate in the artist's creative project in this way.

Each strip of the paper bears Lydia's original hand-printed linocut artwork. The assembled ornament measures approximately 2.5" in diameter, and the kit contains a beautiful little illustrated step-by-step instruction booklet.

Visit lapaigallery.com to see the stretching cat and golden fish on blue and purple. Or visit us at 497 Sussex Drive to see the charming new animal cards -- dog and calf nose to nose, racoon on top of racoon, cat asleep on the gifts under the tree, love birds....

05/06/2026

Is a lovelier Mother's Day tribute to a mother possible than here with Cardinal Family? No. But there can also be uniquely lovely Mother's Day gifts that celebrate a matriarch's solitary enjoyment of life and nature. In each of Stephanie Hill's new mixed technique paintings, Diver, Wood Duck Floating and Merganser and Trout, the woman, overtaken by nature, is becoming bird. How much of our contentment, our ability to be happy, derives from having observed our mother's engagement? Her disengagement? Realizing a mother and a sovereign individual at once -- is much like witnessing a bird woman. The artist marks these delicately metamorphic moments with fine iridescent paint details. Thank you !

Cardinal Family, 12” x 12”, oil on wood panel, 2025.
Works on paper, 8.5” x 6.5” each, ink, watercolour, and gouache on cotton rag paper, 1/1, framed, 2026.
*images are cropped; visit lapaigallery.com for full images and more works by the artist, and 497 Sussex Drive for the full experience.

04/04/2026

LISA CRESKEY works equally in two and three dimensions to create utterly unique ceramic vessels. The four large porcelain bowls we've received have fine walls that are addressed on both sides to produce multiple different perspectives--much as if you were sighting these birds and bears and beavers in the woods.

The alert Blue Jays crest the edges of the bowl and give a remarkable impression of fullness despite being quite 2-d, whereas the fully-realized Bear and Cub pick their way along the inner wall, and the Beaver is busy at work in the lowlands of its vessel. The Pine Grosbeaks offer a special approach. Perched on unglazed flat-painted branches, the charmingly plump bird bodies actually create finger-holds in the exterior wall that take one into the interior scene. These little ceramic caves allow the holder to be present in a truly remarkable physical way.

Note also, these one of a kind artworks are food-safe, allowing one to mindfully join the woodland sketches in yet another way. Thank you !

04/02/2026

03/27/2026

In hand: the final series of multi-coloured hand-beaded necklaces by Yael Krakowski. Yael has retired from her jewellery practice so these treasures are the last. We have enjoyed representing this internationally-renowned artist since 2007.

Each tiny bead is hand-knotted onto the larger bead with attention to colour contrast. Matte and glittery beads are both grounded by the visible fibre knots. There is one long necklace in pinks and reds, one in orange, and a couple of different lengths with multi-coloured beads. All are a delicate gauge of 1.5 cm but one beauty in deep autumnal colours is more impressive with 2.5 cm beads.

For the bracelet in image 2, Yael has enamelled a multitude of little silver petals in shades of red and orange. Each petal is sewn at one tip and so moves freely, keeping its place through overlapping layering. There is a breathtaking, playful, feel when rolling it over your hand.

03/24/2026

PAULA MURRAY'S vessel, Skin Deep, radiates contained energy to the degree that it feels physically impactful. The fine surface lines on the vessel's exterior skin profoundly contrast the rifts of the interior's cracks. Taking in both skins at once is a challenge, and the small puncture points between add to the physical impact and its challenge. It is proof that we do not think without our bodies.

"Exploring my interest in our connection to the unknown, I have made the walls permeable, enabling the flow of light and energy to pass more easily."


Skin Deep, multi-fired porcelain vessel, 13 x 13 x 12.5".

03/21/2026

Charm galore for the young at heart of any age. These delightful flameworked glass earrings, pendants...and bookmarks!....are hand-sculpted over a hot flame. 0 is a special glass artist who has studied separately glass art () and metalsmithing (at ).