Tracey Cameron

Available at the Alberta Craft Gallery - Edmonton

"In a world where nature is receding further and further from our everyday experience, the art work of Tracey Cameron fosters a visceral connection to the environment. A Canadian Maker, Designer and Artist, Tracey creates fabric “paintings” and home goods in her Calgary, Alberta studio. Cameron earned a Bachelors in Design from the Alberta University of Arts in 2006 and allows that graphic training to inform her work. Drawing on influences from patchwork quilting and Expressionism she draws people in with rich colours, simple shapes and deeply layered textiles.

Tracey feels most connected to the world and herself when she is observing nature. It is through these moments of wonder and awe that she feels powerful and grounded. She is fascinated by the immense amount of biodiversity and celebrates the wildness of life through her work. By placing flora and fauna in a place of exaltation she highlights it’s inherent value and explores the relationship between humans and nature. 

Her current body of work focuses on portraits of birds, our closest link to “wildness” in an urban environment. Birds are simultaneously free and tame, beautiful and a pest, known and mysterious. It’s this dualistic nature that she finds interesting. It allows her to explore the limitations and celebrations that we impose on wild creatures doing their best to flourish amongst our chaos.

Using recycled textiles is an important part of Tracey’s work for two reasons. First it highlights the current trend of overconsumption and the negative impact all this excess is having on the environment. Secondly it points to the human need for connection through creative expression and emotional attachment. It's the push and pull of how the desire to constantly express and connect is harming the environment at large, where we derive our greatest sense of interconnectedness and wholeness. 

Tracey believes that what bonds us to the earth and the animals ultimately bonds us to ourselves. By connecting with, appreciating and protecting the environment we also heal the deepest longings of our soul. It’s not about laminating in destruction but fostering a deep feeling of reverence for nature to inspire people to protect that which gives them meaning."