At the Pipe Shop, North Vancouver

Two textile artists and two poets come together in an exhibition based on mutual appreciation, one medium sparking the other to bring about a confluence of ideas and inspiration. Stories from Skins and Skirts (in the Main Gallery) demonstrates the myriad ways in which the artist and writer work together. Never simply a straightforward illustration where the writer writes and the artist uses their skills to respond, this collaboration takes many subtle and unexpected forms that exemplify our interpolations of each other’s creative geographies while negotiating our current time.

Jane Kenyon and Eleanor Hannan both work primarily in the medium of contemporary fibre, more specifically embroidery. Though the concept of embroidery as ‘women’s work’ can feel outdated, it continues to be relevant, especially amid ongoing threats to bodily autonomy and equality. Jane Kenyon and Jude Neale, in a friendship spanning 30 years, influence each other through an intuitive response to the work of the other. Eleanor Hannan and Elizabeth Dancoes have worked together for many years. They both fell in awe of the stories centred around the ancient and now very relevant gesture called Anasyrma: to raise the skirt. Working closely through dialogues, research, and process, their contemporary take on this ancient tale of the eloquent power of the body has produced many story/art combinations – simultaneously provoking, humorous, and poignant. That all four artists are women of a certain age is not a coincidence. Decades of friendship and artistic partnership have allowed them to persevere. Through mythology, narrative, figurative exploration, and abstract expression, they find themselves revisiting themes of autonomy. 

Meet the artists: Please join us for the Opening Reception, Saturday, April 6, 2pm - 4pm. All are welcome!