Sometimes passion and inspiration come from the most unlikely of places: a high school graduation gift of a sewing machine, the beauty of Northern Canada, and a single quilting class. All these would eventually serve as Shawna Lampi-Legaree’s catalyst into the world of art.

Though her beginnings are in traditional quilt making, Shawna’s early works often transcended the domestic realm. She used quilting as a way to share her story and connect with people across generations and to bridge cultures. It opened up a whole new world, so when she received an NWT Arts Council grant in 1996, it allowed her to take the next step and explore design work and fabric dyeing which would form the foundations on what was to come over the next 15 years.

Shawna’s art has evolved from her early designs to explore life, love and loss. She has used hand dyed fabric and original designs as a way to document the world and to share the struggles, triumphs and stories of women and men from all walks of life.

She has been recognized nationally and internationally for her original though provoking designs, and powerful messages and has been published in Lark Books’ “500 Art Quilts”, “The Art Quilt Collection”, “Creative Quilting: The Journal Quilt Project” by Karey Patterson Bresenhan, and Gail Hunt’s “Quilts Across Canada”. In addition, Shawna has been featured on CBC Radio, Up Here and Above & Beyond Magazines, and multiple times in Northern News Services.

Inspired by the North and her surroundings, Shawna’s art is deeply honest, passionate and thought provoking. It gives pause and explores not only the Northern landscapes, but internal landscapes as well.

“THROUGH HER EYES”, a textile art show by Shawna Lampi-Legaree, opens on May 7, 2011 at 7pm at the Price of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, Canada.

Poster Biography [PDF - High Resolution]
Poster Biography [PDF - Standard Resolution]