I have an extensive exhibition and installation history as an artist working in ceramic, straddling the worlds of fine art and contemporary craft. In earlier works I have used the material qualities of clay (simultaneously soft and malleable and at times fragile and breakable) to expose the vulnerabilities of the body. Recently, I have used more oblique references to the body, drawing connections to nature and identity in large scale architectural installations. Through this work, I have experienced the power of public (or public facing) art to create meeting places and instil pride and ownership in neighbourhoods and places where communities meet. This work embellishes surfaces in lived environments with relevant, important and provocative content and is the work I want to pursue.
Through three current projects, I have been engaged on a trajectory of personal discovery and understanding. I very recently completed a 500 square-foot exterior mosaic work commissioned by the City of Lethbridge, Alberta titled ‘The New Nature’ which consists of many hand made tiles creating a nature-based narrative image intended to engage visitors and to create a sense of calm and exploration on subsequent visits. This work involved a mentorship with a local Lethbridge-based emerging artist, Michelle Sylvestre. I am also working with the London Children’s Museum, creating a 1000-square-foot mosaic artwork combining child-generated self portrait tiles and thousands of studio produced tiles with reimaginings (through staff and child consultation) of what nature might look like and mean to us in the future. This will be installed in the new museum, which is slated to open in 2024. Additionally, I am working with the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection in consultation with clients and staff to create a vibrant, biophilic exterior facade for the new safe injection site in central London, Ontario.
