In Celebrating Artistry: Exploring the Creative Journey, Isabelle Sain will lead participants through a discussion of textiles as objects that hold meaning and memories. 

The first portion of the talk will be focused on textiles carrying stories and memories. The next portion of the talk is about textiles’ wear and tear as a unique visible indicator of memory. In this portion of the work-shop we will explore my practice of surface design techniques that purposefully distort and disrupt the textiles to mimic the impressions of life. This consists of printing, dying and sculptures to disrupt textiles. The unique mechanical and chemical imprinting conceptualizes this idea that textiles are storytellers and repositories of our lives and material expressions of what it means to be human. The purpose of the discussion is to reflect on memory and identities entangled in the threads of textiles. The making of textiles and garments has a complex history and in today’s contemporary landscape requires a level of understanding that has been lost. This workshop calls for a moment to celebrate the unique and creative journey textiles take and ultimately reevaluate our relationship to textiles as they retain and communicate memory.

About Isabelle Sain: As an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and facilitator for community programs, devoted to the Mississauga arts scene I use a variety of platforms to conceptualize and advocate for creative active partnership building to explore my own Creative Journey. I have varied experiences that include my textile design practice and community-based workshops. As regional coordinator of Fashion Revolution Toronto I facilitate and speak at panel discussions and host events related to how we as wearers can cultivate a fairer, cleaner and sustainable textile and fashion industry. My practice often involves the physical imprinting of memory through hand screen printing and dyeing of textiles. My work is rooted in how textiles can take on a form beyond just a piece of cloth. The talk will explore my personal journey and approach to textile making to showcase their capacity to contain history, moments and memories.