Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karine Fournier . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Karine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I actually never wanted to fit in the system, i.e. have a regular job. In my twenties, before, during and after my bachelor’s degree in Visual arts, I was always trying to figure out a way to earn a living with my creations. At first I started off by making crafts, plush toys to be more specific, and sold them in stores and craft fairs. After almost 10 years I realized I was much more an artist than a crafter because my craft is imperfect and that’s what I like about it! So I went from being a crafter/designer that works on her brand to a fully experimental artist who deconstructs everything she had done before. But I needed to walk those steps in order to have this realisation, to understand who I am.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a visual artist from Montreal, Québec who works with textiles. I have a master in Visual arts and I work mainly in the educational sector. My practice is divided in 2 categories: yarnbombing and soft sculptures installations. So for the first part, I teach knitting workshops to create collective yarnbombing, which is the art of covering urban elements (lamp posts, public benches, trees…) with knitted yarn. I often say that I knit sweaters for trees. I think it’s a funny and evocative way to put it! I founded a collective called Les Ville-Laines in 2011 and have been doing it since then. For the second part, I have this ultra-experimental way to use needlework -whether it’s knitting, sewing or felting- in which I just need to explore different ways of using the tools and the fiber in order to create mutant-looking shapes that look like rocks or corals. I do this usually during artist residencies in schools or gallery contexts.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal is to cut a breach into the reality of things by taking textile art out of its domestic realm and inserting it into the public sphere in a totally guerrilla way to surprise people, make them feel fuzzy inside, and make magic happen.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
When kids learn to knit with me and just can’t stop afterwards!
When people ask questions about the art I make, listen to the answers and it opens a door full of possibilities for them.
When I have the luxury of doing a residence to develop my practice.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @tricot_pirate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tricotpirate
- Other: https://karinefournier.com
Image Credits
Justine Latour