Drawing on the National Gallery of Canada’s collection, alongside works from other institutions and community archives, including Ayana V. Jackson’s Saffronia (2017), this exhibition explores the photographic studio as more than a site of image-making; it is also a site of exchange and creative negotiation. From early daguerreotypes and 19th-century studio practices to contemporary approaches, Sites of Agency shows how artists, sitters, and photographers have used the camera to express identity, heritage, and voice across diverse cultural contexts. Together, these images reveal the studio as a powerful space for self-expression, where those before the lens can positively declare themselves to the world.
Exhibition dates: Friday, December 11, 2026 — Sunday, March 21, 2027
