About the Artist | History
of Geernaerts | Artist's Statement |
Exhibition History
Artist's Vitae*
| Work History*
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About the Artist |
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For an artisan, the blending of both motif and
material gathered is a natural way to record a journey through
multiple cultures. Shannon Wardroper of Geernaerts Textile Arts,
originally from the west coast of Canada, has a background in
textile design and art history from Alberta College of Art,
Calgary, and Emily Carr College of Art, Vancouver. She has both
studied and taught the last 10 years in Japan and Thailand with
sojourns throughout S.E. Asia for study and research.
Living and working for 7 years in Kyoto, Japan, where she studied
traditional kimono surface design techniques and kimono dressing,
provided immersion into a completely different aesthetic. The
artist continued her study in Asia, moving to Thailand and focusing
on Ikat, supplementary weaving and natural dyeing with Patricia
Cheesman Naenna at Studio Naenna and Chiang Mai University.
Now, dividing time between Canada and abroad, Geernaerts creates
textile arts imbued with motif and material in a unique cultural
fusion.
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History of Geernaerts
In the mid-1800s, J. Geernaert of Belgian origin founded a bespoke
tailor shop in Colchester, England, providing formal wear of sumptuous
fabrics to members of parliament. Although the shop eventually closed
in the fifties and knowledge of its existence was lost to the Geernaets
who had emmigrated to Canada, the love of quality textiles and workmanship
seems to be in the blood as it has continued through the subsequent
generations abroad.
Today, Shannon-a descendant of the original Geernaert-leads “Geernaerts
Textile Arts” producing contemporary textile arts with a multicultural
edge.
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Artist's Statement
The wall hangings are partly an integral part of
ordering the experience of living as an outsider, as an observer in
different cultures, managing the ever-shifting bed of attitudes, morals,
politics as well as social mores such as “kindness” and
“obligation” associated with the platitudes of civility.
Materials and motifs holding specific cultural and historical references
are a major source of inspiration. Harmonious or even ironic melding
of these seemingly disparate images and media gives physical voice to
the experiences of cross-cultural living.They often address areas of
interest to me such as the tension between nature and technology. I
produce abstracted botanical imagery on a large scale while working
concurrently on images of industry.
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Exhibition History
- Circle
Craft Gallery, Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada: Oct-Nov
2005.
- Circle
Craft Christmans Show, Vancouver, Canada: Annually mid-November.
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- Pulse Trade Show, Earl's Court One, London, UK: May 23~26,
2004
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City Screen Gallery, City Screen, York,
UK: April 15~May 15, 2004
- Long Mar Doo Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand: August 3~10,
2003
- Gallery Raku, Zokei Daigakku, Kyoto, Japan*: March 2003.
*Group exhibition with International Women's Artists
Association
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