Lyn Fabio is hard at work preparing for Northern Scene. The fibre and mixed-media artist finds herself in her Whitehorse studio daily.
“I tend to work really intensely in the lead-up to a show, and then not nearly as much in the intervening periods,” she explains. “My last show was in 2011 and so it’s refreshing to be back working on art on a continuous basis for a few months.
“Sometimes it’s a bit frustrating too – when you’re working with so much intensity I find that you get flooded with new ideas, but you don’t always have time to explore all of them as you have to finish the work you’ve already started.”
Fabio works with hog gut to create vessels and miniature garments inspired by the seal-and-walrus intestine clothing of the far North.
“For Northern Scene I’m creating a series of vessels, pouches, and miniature garments,” she says. “One piece will be a miniature hog gut parka trimmed with polar bear fur in honour of the style of clothing that originally inspired me to do this work.”
Fabio’s work with the Canadian Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik for the last 12 years and the Ad?ka Festival in Whitehorse for the previous two years has led her to develop connections with artists across the North. She is very excited to be re-united with many of this Northern family in Ottawa.
“Although it is a bit stressful right now preparing for the show, I’m sure the joy will come when I’m in the midst of Northern Scene, seeing the work of so many amazing northern artists,” she says. “It will be an intense time of taking it all in and I’m so excited and honoured to be able to take part.”
