Exhibition & Artifacts

Enabling greater insight and appreciation of natural and cultural history is a passion of mine. Artifacts offer unique opportunities to tell intimate stories about wider concepts.

My experience includes the conceptual design and practical construction of interactive educational products aimed at students, which combine learning with play. In-depth research is a crucial part of my design process to identify themes and stories with which to capture the participants interest.

Sometimes story is told by the physical nature of an object itself. When preparing pieces for collectors, I use careful conservation techniques to protect the item and present it well, without erasing the stories revealed in its wear.

When it comes to making artifacts last, I have a strange understanding of the elements that can cause damage over time: light levels, temperature and humidity, pests, improper handling and cleaning, and sometimes the chemical composition of the items themselves. I am able to consultaion to ensure longevity.

I have worked with First Nations art and artifacts to meet the mandate of an Ethnology collection: To keep items safe, protected for the long-term, and importantly, accessible to researchers, community, and present-day artists. This involves the construction of custom housing and mounts from archival materials. Each mount is custom fitted to allow ease of access, and secured for stability in case of a seismic event (earthquake). Care and consideration is given to handling and preparation of a wide variety of materials used in the artifacts, which include an array of paints, wood, leather, bone, shell, antler, feather, stone, metal, fibres and plastic.

As an artist I have a great appreciation for the pieces I am working with, and I am honoured to help steward them and their stories into future.