Three-dimensional paper sculptures and wearable prints inspired by a truly wild place in Canada’s northwest corner are on display in central B.C. at Island Mountain Arts (IMA) in Wells.
Artist and printmaker Martha Jane Ritchie has been drawing for years from the natural imagery that surrounds her home in Haines Junction, Yukon.
“The sculptures and clothing items echo the images of boreal flora and fauna found in the wall art, creating a sense of being present in the natural environment,” Ritchie said in an IMA news release. “The work in this collection is both a celebration of the beauty and tranquility of the boreal forest, as well as an expression of a desire to blend into nature.”
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The exhibit Boreal Relief is on display at the public gallery east of Quesnel until Sunday, June 26.
Executive/artistic director Elyssia Sasaki said IMA loves having Ritchie’s exhibition in their gallery.
“Yukon imagery has many parallels to the flora and fauna of the Cariboo region,” Sasaki said. “It’s wild to find yourself close to 2,000 kilometers from the forests that inspire Ritchie’s work, and yet to feel some of this imagery right in your own backyard.”
Ritchie is also offering two workshops to the public that tie into the exhibit.
A fabric stamping workshop for youth is scheduled for the late afternoon of Friday, June 24, with a linocut printmaking and fabric painting workshop geared towards an older crowd on June 25/26. To register, go to www.imarts.com/upcoming-workshops.
For more information about the printmaking exhibition, Boreal Relief, visit www.imarts.com/gallery-current-exhibitions. You can also email info@imarts.com or call 250-994-3466.
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