Textile Museum of Canada announces the 2017 Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award Winners

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LEFT to RIGHT: Hannah Epstein, Vanessa Dion Fletcher and Omar Badrin

Hannah Epstein (Toronto and Los Angeles) is a self-described neo-folk media artist. Hannah’s artistic practice includes hooked rugs, video games and interactive installations. Her work is included in the TMC’s touring exhibition Home Economics: 150 Years of Canadian Hooked Rugs. She will explore textile representations of animals and beasts, both real and mythological, to create a bestiary of her own.

Vanessa Dion Fletcher (Potawatomi and Lenape) is engaged in an art practice that includes printmaking, textiles, performance, installation and video. Vanessa plans to study traditional quillwork embroidery, with a view to creating new work based on Indigenous languages that includes a personal material language of her own.

Omar Badrin (Toronto) received this year’s Honourable Mention Award. Omar is an interdisciplinary artist who explores his own identity by crocheting sculptural portraits with fishing twine and flagging tape – methods and materials that refer to traditional crafts of Newfoundland, where he was raised. Omar will research the TMC’s collection of crocheted textiles.

The Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award helps emerging artists conduct self-directed activities such as art production, apprenticeships, residencies or research. The TMC can support the applicant’s customized program of research and access to the TMC’s library, exhibitions and permanent collection of over 13,000 global artifacts. The award is in memory and honour of Melissa Levin (1958-2015), an artist, mentor and teacher whose career as a textile and costume designer was synonymous with her exuberant love of colour and pattern.

Source: Textile Museum of Canada