Dale Roberts | Dames, Divas and Icons

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Dale Roberts, "Queen Elizabeth II"

needle-felted wool sculpture, 14x10 inches. Photo by Dale Roberts.

Opening Nov 17, 6:30 - 9PM, Artist Talk at 7PM 

Dale’s needle-felted portraits and sculpted busts of Dames, Divas and Icons delight audiences. This exuberant artist brings a life-like presence to luminaries he finds interesting. 

Visitors to the Chapel Gallery in November have a special treat in store. This serene space, illuminated by a shimmering stained-glass window, will host the artwork of another bright light: local sculptor Dale Roberts. For over a decade, his needle-felted portraits and sculpted busts of Dames, Divas and Icons have delighted audiences. This exuberant and productive artist brings a life-like presence to luminaries he finds interesting. “I wonder who these people are,” he says, “how they lived their lives and chose to express themselves.”

​Roberts brings his subjects to life by focusing on their remarkable features and expressive gestures. We view Tim Curry in heavy drag make-up, glancing away, looking pensive. Lauren Bacall, presenting a sexy siren persona, wears a diamond choker. KD Lang looking impish and approachable with a twinkle in her eye. Margaret Atwood, nursing a headache with closed eyes and an enigmatic smile.

The portraits reach back into art history and profile celebrities like writer Oscar Wilde who was imprisoned for homosexual activity. Marcel Duchamp, conceptual artist of the Dada movement, is shown as his female persona Rrose Sélavy. Quentin Crisp (1908-1999) shared his experiences in homophobic Britain during the 1930s and 1940s by writing The Naked Civil Servant (1968). “This is a revealing and fascinating story about a man and his unfolding sexuality,” says Roberts. “I highly recommend the book and TV film to anyone.” Roberts met the famous author/actor in 1997 in New York, when Crisp was 88. In his portrait of Crisp, Roberts combines a youthful Crisp with the elder image.

Mary-ellen Threadkell is a member of the curatorial team at Chapel Gallery. She is pleased to present Dale Roberts’ people portraits to an appreciative audience. “Dale manifests these personalities with such care and tenderness,” she says, “and manages to include both wit and pathos.” Threadkell describes the series as a gathering of extraordinary personalities that have challenged societal norms. Included are busts of well-known figures such as Cher, Queen Elizabeth II and Dame Edna Everage. Roberts’ female persona Dame Mailarta dazzles in her jaunty hat, aqua-blue jewellery and scarf. 

Dale Roberts was born in Point Leamington, Newfoundland, population 600. He was the youngest in a small family and recalls a “miracle moment” at age five when he learned how to crochet. All things nautical, along with the textural wonder of sea creatures, animate his fibre creations. As a child,  he created a vibrant inner-life with imaginative play and colourful themes.

“I drew on the cabin walls,” he chuckles. At age 17, he spent nine months in Sri Lanka on a volunteer work program - an experience he describes as life-altering. Years of work and study followed his return to Canada. His education includes a Bachelor of Fine Art (1992) from Grenfell College at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He received a Masters of Fine Art (1995) from Purchase College at State University of New York.

Living in New York during the 1990s was an exciting time and included his first Pride Parade in 1996.

​“It was overwhelming,”  he recalls, “being part of the raucous crowd as the floats rolled past. Superstar drag-queen RUPAUL was a sight to behold, towering over the audience at six feet tall and belting out mega-hits.”

A portrait of RUPAUL is included in the show. Roberts managed to channel the emotion of the Pride Parade into the meticulous medium of needle felting. Needle felting uses barbed needles to bind wool fibres into a softly matted structure. The artist estimates that 100 hours and 750,000 pokes go into each 24 by 24 inch portrait. “I find the process meditative,” he says.

For inspiration he uses photographs, tracing a likeness into the styrofoam backing. Capturing the essence of a personality requires multiple layering and subtle shading by adding small tufts of wool.

​Dale Roberts is a prolific, multi-faceted conceptual artist, confirms Kegan McFadden, Executive Director of the Victoria Arts Council. In 2019, Roberts took part in contrapposto, an exhibition at the VAC curated by McFadden. For contrapposto, Roberts joined six other queer male-identified artists working in textiles and hand-made forms. Roberts presented Distorts, a collection of 333 fibre pieces, many years in the making. Some of the remaining Distorts can be viewed on the wall behind Roberts in the photograph on this webpage. Kegan comments that Roberts’ work has evolved to include role reversal and gender switching. He praises Dale’s diligence over the past two decades in Victoria. “In this city’s often conservative arts scene,” says McFadden, “Dale has managed to weave his lived experience with a profound understanding of camp, to add a gay perspective to the conversation. For that, he should be applauded.”