New exhibition opens at An Lanntair this weekend

A new exhibition comprising the work of 22 contemporary, professional makers from Canada and Scotland and covering a broad spectrum of media including: ceramic, glass, jewellery, metalwork, textile and wood opens at An Lanntair Stornoway this weekend.

Craft traditions connect Canada and Scotland and share a sense of northern identity.

This exhibition highlights some of these craft traditions and heritage, helping to define our own identities and cultures.

It strips back ideas of craft to four themes that bridge past and present, Old and New Scotland, traditional and changing ideas.

These in turn focus on discipline, theory, concepts and methods.

It is a novel and timely approach to the production and use of craft from a historical and contemporary perspective.

Under the theme of Do It Yourself: DIY, objects are related to the long and rich history of small craft and home improvement projects, and an ethos of self-sufficiency.

Sarah Alford (Canada) : mixed media; Martin Campbell (Scotland) : furniture; Jennifer Cantwell (Scotland) : mixed media; Amanda McCavour (Canada) : textile and Kevin Morris (Scotland) : ceramic.

In Down and Dirty: Politics and Materials the selected works highlight a personal or communal attachment with place, loss or displacement, or highlight renewed engagement or innovative development.

Teresa Burrows (Canada) : textile/beadwork; Susan Collett (Canada) : ceramic; Jen Deschenes (Scotland) : embroidery; Beth Legg (Scotland) :jewellery and Kari Woo (Canada) : mixed media.

New Positions, profiles the current generations of makers who embrace new methods of production and terminology such as craftivism, yarn bombing, and sloppy craft.

Jilli Blackwood (Scotland) : textile; Caroline Dear (Scotland) : basketry; Joanne B Kaar (Scotland) : fibre art; John Little (Canada) : metalwork; Nicola Mainville (Canada) : mixed media and Jeanette Sendler (Scotland) : textile.

Finally, Tooling Up: New Technologies and Economies, contrasts makers who are exploring their tools and materials; challenging processes, interpreting new ways to understand their materials, and constructing new approaches and tools for their own purposes.

Michael Hosaluk (Canada) : wood; Aaron Nelson (Canada) : ceramic; Clint Neufield (Canada) : ceramic; Claudio Pino (Canada) : jewellery; Amelie Proulx (Canada) : ceramic and

Amanda Simmons (Scotland) : glass

In addition to the exhibition - which runs from April 15th to June 3rd - there is a range of workshops and talks to attend.

See the Full programe Naked Craft Programme: here