Pat Bragg | Honour and Reverence: For the Land, the Animals and the Work of Women and Men

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Pat Bragg, “Road to Kluane,” 2024 ”

photograph, beading, 24x16" (courtesy of the artist)

Opening Reception: Friday, September 6th from 5 – 7 pm

Beaded Photography and Wearable Art Come Together for New Solo Show

A new show opening at Yukon Artists at Work highlights the varied creative talents of Yukon artist Pat Bragg. The exhibit is called Honour and Reverence: For the Land, the Animals and the Work of Women and Men. Pat has combined beaded photography and wearable art in this show, work that represents two sides of her artistic expression, connected mostly by colour.

“I work with what comes to hand,” says Pat. “I take photographs wherever I am, and I love to capture unique perspectives of the every-day.”

Often living in isolated places of the north, her art has evolved to included wearable art for our climate.

“I wait each year for new wool from shepherd friends on the Canadian Prairies and furs to come from local trappers,” says Pat. “When the raw materials appear, they call to me in terms of what they want to become.”

Pat brings her sewing, spinning and knitting skills to express the beauty, femininity, strength to survive the Northern climate, and practicality in these raw materials. She has begun to explore the masculine application as well.

Pat has been creating Wearable Art by spinning yarn with a hand spindle for about eight years, since taking a course in Winnipeg. She has been collecting beautiful rovings and batts of wool (sheep, alpaca, yak, llama) and when she is lucky, has carded some rare qiviut from Herschel Island. Then she knits or crochets the yarn into practical and fashionable clothing. She learned to knit as a child, to crochet as a teenager, and to work with fur and beads as a senior citizen. Pat always wants to combine the textures, colours and images of her life.

“I love the almost unbearable softness of some of the yarns and furs - colours and images that reflect the natural world and sometimes the created world,” says Pat. “The meditative quality of home-spinning and expression of love in knitting the yarn for home and family, connects me with the land, animals, and other people”.