Tzigane Caddell

Dates: February 19th - March 20th

This exhibit is a confluence of two textile passions, Rughooking and Indigo Dyeing. I have always loved the idea that objects should be both beautiful and functional and, in that context, am particularly attracted to the world of textiles. Rugs and shawls meet basic needs of warmth and comfort. Creating rugs and shawls that are rich in colour and texture and pattern, that I live with and wear, is deeply rewarding. For me, hooking rugs provided an entry in the textile world that required a very straightforward technique of pulling loops with a hook through linen, while, at the same time, offered endless potential for design, colour and pattern work. Strong colours and geometrics are my happy place. In time, I began dyeing wool for rughooking, which led to interest in naturals dyes, which led to Indigo!

The first time I pulled cloth from a homemade 5gallon indigo vat, I was smitten. That moment of wonder, when the colour shifts from green to blue, never gets old, and the meditative process of creating shibori resist patterns – through binding, stitching, folding, and clamping – has deepened my indigo practice. Hand-made textiles – made from natural fibres – take time and care to create. Thus, they deserve time and care to keep, to cherish, to share, to pass on, to repair, to remake and, at some point, to return to the earth. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to show my work at the Saint John Arts Centre and am honoured to share it with you.