Please take a detour (if a detour is required) to drive past the Shangri-La Hotel Downtown and look at the new Offsite Exhibition by O Zhang put on by the Vancouver Art Gallery.  The piercing eyes of these young girls are haunting. They are not smiling or playing, rather they are hunched down and staring at the viewer quizzically.   The National Post asked the artist, “What is life like for these girls?”

They’re well fed, but they’re longing for a better life.  Many girls still cannot pursue their dreams, especially if they are from rural areas.  Even if a girl is a top student, she may have to stop school so money can be saved up for a brother’s wedding.

We loved this exhibition, and the questions that it raises.  The show runs until November 29, 2009.