Common Threads is a new feauture rounding up some of what’s going on in fibre and textile arts and crafts across Canada.
Jelly humpty before the incident, Anastasia Tiller, 2020.
Room for Happy is an exhibition of very non-traditional pieces crafted with the very traditional method of Newfoundland and Labrador rug hooking. Artist Anastasia Tiller invented an oceanful of whimsical and playful water creatures, bright and joyful. A selection of her work will be on display at the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, March 5 to April 9, 2021, COVID-19 restrictions permitting. Learn more about the artist at her website.
Piece from “Beast of Burden,” Sandeep Johal, 2020. Photo credit Dennis Ha.
Artist Sandeep Johal’s newest solo exhibition, Beast of Burden, opened at the BAF Gallery in Vancouver, and will be there until March 20, 2021. Johal’s work centres around women’s stories, and this exhibition tells stories of motherhood, and explores the “darkness” that is often close, but rarely acknowledged.
“A daring exercise in vulnerability and forgiveness, Beast of Burden is an unflinching look at motherhood that urges viewers to recast their gaze. Beyond the allegorical, Beast of Burden’s textile focus is a nod to Johal’s own mother; her labour in making clothing for her family, and the richness of cloth adorning Johal’s homelife and homeland.” Find a preview at the gallery website, and more of Johal’s work at her website.
Oh Deer visiting the Olle Holmsten fountain, a massive piece of sculpture, built in the 1960s, on the site of the old Royal Alberta Museum grounds
Art teacher and crocheter Chloe Findlay-Harder describes her Oh Deer Portable Yarn Bombing project as her “own way of dealing with the ongoing stress and anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to create something from my own stash of yarn and art supplies, and the slow work of crocheting the granny squares was deeply soothing. I take Oh Deer to various sites of public art in Edmonton, then share the photos on the dedicated OhDeerYEG Instagram. Since we can’t travel these days, it’s a fun way to share a little piece of my own city.”
Textile artist Alisa McRonald has five weaving and punch-needle pieces on display in the windows of Toronto’s Drake Hotel. “My Little Arcana” introduces five characters from her own life and her imagination, marking key moments in her personal and artistic evolution. The display will remain until March 22, 2021. Follow Alisa on Instagram to see more of her work.
