I would never ever

Sora Park

Forest City Gallery, 1025 Elias St.

September 11 – November 6, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 7–9pm

Artist Talk: Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 6pm

Troy was such a monster when he was a puppy. My arms were always covered in scratches and bruises from his sharp puppy teeth as he attacked me for no reason other than because he wanted to. He has mellowed a lot now that he is 10 years old.

“But have you ever eaten a dog?”

Can I just talk about my dog without you asking me that question?

I would never ever by Korean-Canadian artist Sora Park explores how the presence of dogs in her life has brought both comfort and tension.

The exhibition confronts the painful reality many diasporic people face, where racial stereotypes dehumanize entire communities by associating their identities with savagery and uncivilized behaviour through their relationships with animals. Growing up as a Korean-Canadian, the artist encountered jokes and comments about eating dogs, making her acutely aware of how others perceived her identity.

Alongside the racial stereotypes the artist experienced, the exhibition also depicts the joy of loving and caring for animals. Weaving together these contrasting emotions, I would never ever illustrates the complexity of loving her own dogs while confronting racial stereotypes she did not create but is nevertheless expected to answer for.

Artist Bio:

Sora Park is a Korean-Canadian interdisciplinary artist living on the traditional territories of the q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), Máthxwi (Matsqui) and Se’mya’me’ (Semiahmoo) First Nations, also known as Langley, BC.

Sora’s research-based practice explores how her identity as a Korean-Canadian person is shaped and continuously transformed by her experience of diaspora.

She received her BFA in Photography from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and an MA in Fine Arts from Bergen Academy of Art and Design in Bergen, Norway.

In her free time, she likes going to film festivals, hanging out with her lazy dog, listening to Bachata, and playing and watching tennis.

Join us for Sora Park's artist talk in the gallery on Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 6pm followed by the Opening Reception @ 7–9pm.

Thank you to our funders the London Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and the London Community Foundation for their support to make our exhibitions and programming free and accessible for all.