Facing the End with Art: How Canadians Are Exploring the Question of a Good Death
Imagine being asked the most intimate question of your life: How would you like to die? This is exactly what the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is inviting Canadians to consider through its thought-provoking exhibition, The Art of a Good Death. Curated by Ottawa researcher Sarina Isenberg and featuring artists from across the country, the show brings the deeply personal and often difficult subject of death into public view through painting, film, and interactive installations.
In a quiet corner of B.C.'s Kootenays, Aimee-Rose Philibert paints in her driveway studio surrounded by her five dogs and a collection of "weird, obscure art and biology." She describes the creative process as a battle with the canvas: "Sometimes I fight with a painting. Then suddenly, it aligns perfectly with the image in my mind."
One of Philibert's pieces, Vent de Melisse, will be featured in The Art of a Good Death, which runs from November 8 to January 11 at the OAG and will travel to other Canadian cities in 2026. The painting was inspired by her close friend Melisse, who lived with Huntington's disease and chose to have a medically assisted death. To honor her final days, Melisse invited around 30 loved ones to a secluded chalet in a Quebec forest. They celebrated with music, dancing, and sumptuous food, embracing every last moment together.
On the day Melisse had chosen for her passing, a doctor arrived to assist. "It was heartbreaking because we were losing a friend, yet profoundly empowering—beautiful and intense," Philibert recalls. Melisse passed quickly and peacefully, surrounded by those she loved. Philibert's painting captures this delicate balance of joy and grief through calm, neutral tones.
Philibert's work was one of three winners in a national art competition led by Sarina Isenberg, a palliative-care researcher at the University of Ottawa and the Bruyère Health Research Institute. Isenberg invited artists across Canada to translate research on what constitutes a "good death"—including physical comfort, emotional peace, meaningful connections, autonomy, and dignity—into artistic form. Her goal was to take this research out of academic journals and make it accessible to the public. "It merges my scientific and artistic perspectives, showing that these domains are deeply connected through our shared humanity," she explains.
Over 100 submissions poured in from nine provinces, eliciting a wide range of reactions from laughter to tears. "Some were literal interpretations, others abstract. It was an emotional journey for all of us on the judging panel," Isenberg says. The jury, composed of curators, scientists, healthcare providers, and caregivers, selected six standout pieces for the exhibition, including a coffin-shaped sculpture crafted from found objects, a graphic novel, film stills, and a bouquet combining flowers and medical devices.
Adding an interactive element, the exhibition features a sapling where visitors can record their own thoughts on how they wish to die. This sapling will later return to the gallery as a full-grown tree, with each leaf, flower, and fruit representing the collective responses—a living testament to the varied perspectives on end-of-life choices.
Alexandra Badzak, OAG's director and CEO, emphasizes the gallery's role in bridging art and healthcare. "Artists can tackle complex subjects in ways that invite people in," she says. For example, Ottawa artist Jennifer Kershaw’s playful piece In Excelsis Doughnut uses glossy still-life images of doughnuts and ice cream to explore the foods people request at the end of their lives. Inspired by her grandmother's desire for a homemade cinnamon-sugar doughnut and other personal experiences, Kershaw highlights the small, yet significant acts of agency at life’s final stage. "It’s a delightful, slightly ironic reminder that personal choice matters until the very end," Badzak adds.
Each of the six selected works addresses the concept of a good death differently, yet collectively they make the topic more approachable. "It opens up a conversation that is otherwise hard to start," Isenberg says. Philibert emphasizes a powerful takeaway: death doesn’t have to be a terrifying narrative. "Cherish your loved ones," she advises. "Don’t miss a chance to show them you care."
The Art of a Good Death runs until January 11 at the Ottawa Art Gallery (50 Mackenzie King Bridge, Ottawa).
About the Author
Nickie Shobeiry is a writer, film and radio producer covering arts, culture, and social impact in Canada and beyond. A second-generation Iranian raised in England and now living in Ottawa, she seeks to create space for stories and voices that often go unheard.
