About the exhibition

The works in this exhibition explore the expanded notions of mourning; meaning not confined to the loss of loved ones, but includes displacement, loss of identity, community, ideals, and loss of self. More specifically, mourning is examined from an ethnological perspective, reflecting on how our heritage, belief systems, genealogy, effects or guides our experiences of grief. In Anthology of Mourning, these ideas are explored through printed works and drawings, often referred to as still-lifes and tapestries. The works are created from the assemblage of an extensive collection of imagery and visual lexicon that I have been building and referencing throughout my practice.

There is a strong presence of textile designs and traditions in the works. My family working in this industry, fabric has always been part of my visual landscape evoking notions of labour, class and cultural identity. In my own translation of textile work, I’m interested in exploring cloth as a fleshy extension of the body. Cloth and patterning becomes a communicative adornment, expressing something the body cannot. It’s a means of hiding the self but also revealing the self. Through cryptic language, repetition and the appropriation of traditional motifs, the works act as pictograms using patterning as text, revealing a desire to establish a dialogue between past and present, seeking to keep what as left alive.

About the artist

Stephanie de Couto Costa is a visual artist and writer in Montreal, Canada. Interested in process driven material practices, her work encompasses different media such as printmaking, textiles, drawing and installation. She has participated in a number of international exhibitions and residencies, including a research and creation project in Lisbon, Portugal.  She completed a MFA in Studio Arts from Concordia University, where she works as an Assistant Professor in the division of Print Media.