Mark Stebbins
The Lingering Instant
Judith and Norman Alix Art Gallery, Sarnia, ON
April 17 – August 30, 2026
Members reception: First Friday, May 1, 2026 — 7:00-9:00PM
Artist will be in attendance — Live music, drinks and light snacks

The Lingering Instant presents new paintings by Mark Stebbins, reaffirming the artist’s sustained commitment to materiality and the hand-made. At close range, each surface reveals a meticulous construction of thousands of individual strokes or dollops of paint, accumulating into images of quiet intensity and cohesion.
Though the works may initially suggest mechanical precision, their application is resolutely human. Imperfection is not incidental but essential–embedded in the rhythm of the artist’s hand and the passage of time required to produce each painting. The works assert the enduring relevance of the human-made in an increasingly digital and AI-mediated visual culture.
The density of the painted surfaces mirrors their conceptual depth. As the viewer lingers, a network of references emerges to historical and contemporary art movements, textile and craft-based practices, alongside considerations of temporality, memory, and duration.
Curated by Sonya Blazek.
Publication forthcoming.