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SHIRLEY MOORHOUSE - ARTIST
Shirley Moorhouse graduated from the Applied Art program in Heritage Crafts at Labrador College, Happy Valley, Labrador, in 1995. She was the valedictorian of her class.
"I love my mother and grandmother. They were always sewing, cooking, cleaning, nurturing, disciplining children or birthing. They provided us with love, stability and nourishment for heart and stomach in our home. When they sewed, it was to provide for their family. What they did out of necessity is now considered art.
I am a tactile person. I love the feel of different textures and the look of different fabrics. I like the emotions they evoke. I use the fine art of hand sewing to create original appliqué wall hangings. It is my aim to try to depict contemporary interpretations of Inuit legends, spirituality and life. My ideas come from my sources. I try to reflect on who I am, who we are and how we as women fit into the overall scheme of things. I want to show the strength, pride, fierceness, beauty and versatility of women. How we contribute in our own little ways to the richness and texture of life. How being a woman is timeless and transcends boundaries of time, space and cultures.
I start each work on a background of black stroud. The stroud evokes images of timelessness, space depth and darkness. It is a dramatic backdrop for things unseen, yet sensed, hovering on the edges of your consciousness. Design elements include embroidery, beadwork and appliqué. These elements are then embellished with various materials such as felt, smoked tanned caribou hide, sealskin and other various found objects.
Each piece reveals another page in an ongoing exploration of my Inuit ancestry and myself. Each chapter is part of an ongoing story honouring our spirituality and our distinct culture."
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