Name/Title
BreatheEntry/Object ID
2022.09.01Description
Jan Wade (b. 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is an African-Canadian artist of both European and African American descent. Wade grew up close with her paternal grandmother and great-grandmother and was greatly influence by stories of Black culture in the Southern United States.
During her early 20s, Wade studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design (1972–76) and later moved to Vancouver in 1983, where she became enamored by the art, music, and spiritual of African diasporic communities living in the city.
Wade’s artistic practice draws on her earlier investigations into identity, race, and community and lived experience as an African Canadian woman of mixed heritage. Her works range from mixed media, sculpture, painting, and textile, and explore traditional beliefs and aesthetics alongside contemporary political issues such as racism, race-based violence, and trauma.
Wade demonstrates a persistent interest in following in the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Growing up surrounded by her grandmother and great-grandmother doing crafts with women in the church basement, the artist sees her works as a way of connecting with her heritage. Breathe (2022) draws inspiration from the traditions of Black Southern quilting, such the Gee’s Bend quilts of southern Alabama, and the complex patterns found Indigenous and African textiles.Artwork Details
Medium
embroidery on linenDimensions
Height
39.4 cmWidth
119.4 cm
