Description:

Rebekah Walker (she/her) is an artist and art historian currently in her third year of Art  History at Concordia University in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her work focuses on craft theory  and discourse, exploring them as contemporary forms of political action and radical care.  Many of her projects combine textile art practice with making-based research, where  both the art and the subject inform and shape each other. 

Ultimately, Rebekah aspires to pursue a career in Canadian decorative arts and textile  curation. Through her work, she aims to dissect the complexities of craft as a gendered,  socialist, and material art form. She is particularly interested in exploring the connections  between craft, community, and private life.

The object of inquiry explored over the course of this project is the Komebukuro, also  known as the Japanese Rice bag, decorated with the Sashiko stitch method. Instead of  taking the traditional approach, I decided to take on the contemporary ideas about  Sashiko’s sustainable and mending qualities. One mode of interpretation takes the form of  Mottanai, a Japanese word that means “to waste nothing.” This concept prioritizes the  reuse and mending of materials, as well as the use of every piece of material in the creation  of a garment. It is an ancient tradition that has seen a revitalization in the past few decades  as climate change becomes a prevalent issue in the everyday lives of people around the  world.

Read Rebekah’s full paper, Investigating Sustainability Through Japanese Textile Art Practices, the first two pages seen below, by clicking here to download.

Description:

Nathan Theriault studied in the Visual Arts Program at John Abbott College for three years, where he developed a deep passion for art and the art-making process. After graduating, he chose to share his passion with others through teaching. Nathan is currently completing his first year in the Art Education Major at Concordia University, with plans to apply for specialization when the time comes. Art holds a vital place in his life, and he cares deeply about helping others find their own connection to it.

Nathan’s large-scale painting, Cost, was created as a commentary on society’s obsession with flashy vehicles. The painting is reminiscent of a Hot Wheels poster, with bright, attention-grabbing colors and movements. On the perimeter of the painting, the silhouettes of burning trees desperately try to catch the viewer’s attention but are overshadowed by the vibrant cars. Nathan created this piece as a mirror of contemporary society, where consumers often focus on the next big thing without considering the cost. Theriault loves cars, and by exploring this theme in his painting, he found a way to reflect on both his personal passions and their environmental impacts. The speedometer in the background of the painting is positioned at eye level, with temperature degrees subtly incorporated next to the speed values. This dual depiction highlights the connection between a car’s speed and the rising temperature of the planet. The painting plays with the theme of needs versus wants—where we need the environment to survive but often prioritize our desires for pleasure over what is necessary for our well-being.

Description:

Hilary is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice ranges from drawing and painting to various other crafts. She began jewellery making after a summer spent gathering sea-glass from  the shores of Gaspésie. Combining wire-wrapping with macramé, she uses bare metal wire  and natural fibres to create unique pieces that will have a minimal impact on the  environment when they—like we—inevitably return to the earth. You can check out more of  her work on Instagram @one.hil.wonder.

Description:

Maha Gabriela Mogab Campos is a textile and visual artist with a special focus on sustainable practices. Her preferred mediums include oil and chalk pastels, charcoal, yarn, fabrics, paper, and natural elements. She always strives to reuse or repurpose materials before purchasing new ones. If there’s a way for her to make something instead of buying it, she will choose that route. Born in Montreal to immigrant parents, Maha spent most of her childhood between Lebanon and Costa Rica. This upbringing allowed her to appreciate the impermanence of things and draw connections between the diverse worlds she’s experienced. The constants in her life are her connections to people, food, nature, and herself. Creating art inspired by the natural world helps Maha continuously reevaluate and strengthen her connection to it while celebrating its richness and depth. Observation plays a critical role in her practice; she’s less concerned with reproducing things as they appear and more focused on how they appear to her. Her process is slow and deliberate, often marked by extended periods of rest. She places more value on her thought processes and personal growth—whether through the evolution of her skills or the development of her guiding philosophies—than on sheer productivity.

The mushroom and butterfly are both made entirely from foraged and repurposed materials. For the mushroom, Maha created a dome-like structure from cardboard boxes and covered it with batting and polyester fiber fill salvaged from old pillows and stuffed animals that her dog had torn apart. She then covered the structure with a beautiful piece of fabric that was gifted to her from someone’s stash. To create the gills, she brewed a strong tea to dye Hanji paper, which was then used in the final piece. Though it may not appear so, the mushroom cap is actually very heavy. For the butterfly wings, Maha used old white sheets that she no longer needed, which she dyed with tea. The intricate details were cut from fabric samples she found at CUCCR. She foraged two long branches to serve as a structure from which the wings hang. These branches allow the wearer to flap the wings. The wings are designed to be worn like a backpack, with a base made from a recyclable grocery bag and elastic straps to secure the piece to the wearer’s body.

Description:

Eva Webb (she/her) strives to be as sustainable as possible within her art practice. When she first began studying Art Education, her primary medium was drawing. However, since joining the program, she has had the opportunity to explore various art forms. One that has particularly excited her is sculpture.

During her classes, Eva realized that almost anything can be used to create a sculpture. She loved this discovery, because it freed her from expectation of purchasing expensive materials for assignments. When given an assignment titled, “the stories objects tell.” Webb knew she could create something extraordinary using only recycled materials.

She envisioned a comically large bag. Almost everyone carries a bag, and each one has a unique story – they come from somewhere and go someplace else. She wants the size of the bag to prompt viewers to consider not just its appearance, but also what it could carry. How much or how little? Why would someone carry these items, and what stories do they tell? By leaving the bag empty, she invites the viewer to create their own interpretations.

When choosing materials, Eva considered two overflowing drawers in her kitchen full of reusable grocery bags. It seemed perfect—a bag made from bags, with each one representing its own story. For the base structure, she used cardboard she found in her building’s garbage room. Once the base was built, the rest came together easily.

Discovering her passion for sculpture has shown Eva just how much she enjoys upcycling—transforming things others might see as trash into beautiful pieces full of potential, rather than letting them sit around as clutter with no purpose.