Shawn O'Hagan

Shawn O'Hagan was born in Toronto, Canada and moved to Newfoundland in 1975. She lives and works on the west coast of the island. Her background is in painting (she has an MFA in Painting) but she has worked with many processes and materials. For the past 15 years Shawn has concentrated mostly on textiles. Her new work combines textiles and painting. She has exhibited her work in solo and group shows mostly in the Maritimes and her work can be found in many collections including the Canada Council Art Bank.

"My recent work celebrates where and how I live – my personal history (both intellectual and spiritual) and my natural surroundings (my home, my garden, my cabin in the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland). I try to live carefully, touching what is around me. I am interested in the connections and overlap between my natural and domestic environments. The threads that run through my life. And about the energies that connect them all.

In my work I employ the labour intensive techniques of embroidery and appliqué either on painted terraskin paper (mounted on wood panel or stretched canvas), or on hand dyed vintage textiles or handmade felt."