We have in our midst a fibre artist to take note of.
Sechelt's Connie Chapman has been creating and exhibiting her art for more than a decade and has just recently won the Joy Stocksdale Best in Show Award in the interface:Connections SDA Members' Show at the Surface Design Association conference in San Antonio, Texas.
This exhibition was open to members from all over the world, and indeed, the competition was fierce. There were many pieces that demonstrated innovative use of textile media, a high standard of craftsmanship and great visual interest, which is what the judges were looking for.
Chapman's winning work, Paper, Fabric & Thread, is hand-cast paper and discharged cotton fabric connected and embellished by machine sewing and embroidery. After mounting the piece on stretched canvas, copper cord was then couched over the fabric and paper, uniting the work.
Now closer to home, Chapman will be participating along with 13 other SDA members in an upcoming exhibition Talking Heads: A Contemporary Take on Headdresses, which opened this week (July 25) at Cityscape Gallery in North Vancouver. The exhibition runs until Sept. 7.
Chapman started her formal education in art by spreading the foundation year at Emily Carr University over two years while she was still working. She later took the Textile Arts program at Capilano University and graduated with a scholarship.
"Recently my art has evolved into working with a combination of paper and fabric," she said. "I've been revisiting the techniques of rusting, copper verdigris patina and batik on both of these fibres. Marks and images are painted and stitched over layers of different thicknesses and textures. Reverse appliqué is another favourite technique.
"My work usually follows organic lines inspired by nature. Walking and kayaking with my camera produce an abundance of inspiration, and found objects often bring their own life into my pieces."
