wool, cotton
24″ x 21.5″
2018

Statement:

Fibre is a very visceral and relatable medium. I am interested in fibre’s ability to draw parallels to the physical body and the experience of being in one’s own body. I continually find weaving and tapestry to be a rich ground to explore tradition, labour, and family lineage.

My grandmother, Verna Hunt, was a painter and weaver. Her work has always inspired me and her legacy continues to be a source of influence on my art practice today. Weaving is a skill and art form that has been passed down for many generations. It was traditionally a trade that involved the entire family. Woven into my family history is a story that generations back, my family were silk weavers for the King of France. Whether true or folklore, I carry on telling the tale.

It is impossible to make a weaving that does not reference the vast lineage of makers that came before it. My grandmother was my first teacher. Prairie Hands is made with the wool from my grandmother’s collection, most of which was hand spun and dyed by her. Using her materials, from my loom, this piece is a distillation of her legacy. A posthumous collaboration, honouring her skillful hands, and the inherited knowledge of my ancestry, both real and imagined.