Donna Clement
ARTIST STATEMENT
I have always enjoyed making art in various mediums. I started working with paper and its’ different forms (bookmaking being my favourite) but have moved on to textiles. I took a four-year degree program which taught the “how to” of every embroidery technique while encouraging a contemporary approach by combining multi-methods. The design component that was concurrently taught opened up a world of possibility to me. Opening my eyes to the world around us and adapting ‘anything’ into a viable design has been one of the most satisfying parts of this experience.
In making my art, fabric is dyed, painted, torn and/or manipulated; plastic materials are stretched, skewered and melted; paper is ripped, crinkled and molded. Then all materials are attached with a threaded needle either by hand or by machine. Each piece is completely hand made and of an original design.
One thing I have learnt about myself is my passion for texture – I find I am always drawn to a touchable surface. One that involves the senses. I enjoy the play of light, the layers of colours, the juxtaposition of combining different tactile fibres and strive to always present a visual feast for the viewer.
BIOGRAPHY
Donna’s travels over the past 30 years have provided a starting point for design work. Since living internationally in Iran and the UK, and taking advantage of the proximity of Europe to travel extensively, she has been exploring handwork through various arts and crafts since returning to Canada. Through the Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild (Calgary) she became involved in book arts. But with the completion of the London, England based “City & Guilds” diploma program in Embroidery and Design, she has been thrown into the world of textiles and all forms of needlework and, most importantly for her, the component of design. She is now drawing on her previous (and current) travels for inspiration in her work, with a focus on the world’s pre-eminent natural heritage sights as designated by UNESCO.
