Joanne Ferry

Creating and destroying are integral to my artistic process. In my earlier work, this duality manifested literally; I often cut up paintings and drawings, rearranging them into collages. These collages then inspired my 2-D and 3-D relief paintings, constructed from found wood. In my more recent abstract works, this process plays a subtler role, with multiple layers of paint that both hide and reveal the histories of previous layers.

In my fibre work, I utilize layers of textiles, raw wool, and stitchery. I engaged in drawing and fibre arts for many years before shifting my focus to painting while attending Emily Carr in the 90s. Now, I find my love for drawing, painting, mixed media, and fibre colliding in new and exciting ways.

I've always been intrigued by what defines craft versus fine art, and how these distinctions play out in our society, historically influencing gender roles.

Limitations—both self-inflicted and imposed by circumstances beyond our control—have long fascinated me, particularly how they affect the creative process. Sometimes, struggling with less can push a whole new level of creativity to the surface. For instance, during my time at Emily Carr in the 1990s, I faced limited financial resources and would scout back alleys for found wood. The type of wood, its condition, and the shapes I discovered dictated, to some degree, what I was able to construct. I often wonder how not having financial constraints,  might have directed my creative journey in an entirely different way.