This body of work is about translating the idea of home into something large-scale and participatory, through the medium of printmaking. It comprises works printed on paper and objects constructed from screen-printed materials and fabrics. My work references domesticity in imitating an interior, be it a shelter or a carpet. Incorporating a vibrant limited palette and screen-printed pattern to create the proposed work invites the viewer to interact directly with it. This is not a precious object, it is something to be lived in and lived with. The motifs include capelin and lupins, inspired by my two-year stay in Newfoundland. This work has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Rooms and artch.
The work Abundance (Come and Sit), consisting of a tablecloth and 24 napkins was part of the traveling group exhibition Making Home Here. Curated by Rachel Gilbert, the show travelled through Newfoundland and Labrador from 2023-2024, with stops at The Labrador Interpretation Centre, The Rooms, Grenfell Art Gallery, and Rocky . The photos at The Rooms, where the show opened in September 2023, were taken by m + e photography.
Other works from the exhibition were part of the artch 2024 Arts Festival in Montreal. Photos at artch were taken by William Sabourin.
Shazia Ahmad 