Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Loretta Faveri. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Loretta, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Having an underlying concept that grounds each project I do, is very important to me. Lately, I have been delving into my family’s past to create a space for forgiveness and to build a body of work that provides a legacy for future generations. My Italian Canadian grandfather was placed in an internment camp in Petawawa, Ontario, Canada during WWII, accused of being an enemy alien of the state. The irony was that five of his nine children were serving in the Canadian Armed Forces at the time. My grandmother was instrumental in securing his release, tirelessly writing letters to government officials. It is her words that I am using to build this body of work. I have transcribed her letters onto handmade paper. Now, I’m in the process of tearing the papers and stitching the fragments together to create individual portraits of my grandparents and my five uncles. The final exhibition will consist of seven paper tapestries that cast seven shadow portraits on the walls behind them. Each portrait will emerge on the wall like a ghost from the past, lest we forget.

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 have been obsessed with making things since I was a child and was very much inspired by the kids’ TV show ZOOM. I loved to make the projects that were featured on the show. One in particular was a life-sized blow-up doll made from garbage bags and filled with air from the back end of a vacuum cleaner – so cool! I spent many hours exploring how to make musical instruments and shoes. I shifted into the fibre arts when my mom taught me to knit and embroider and in my early teens, I became immersed in macrame and off-loom weaving.

Although I had a passion for “making”, I never considered myself an artist and didn’t pursue art when I finished high school. In my young adult life, I stopped “making” and focused instead on earning a living as an HR administrator. However, I did have one very important creative outlet – belly dancing. For many years I performed with Arabesque Dance Company in Canada, Greece and Lebanon. Dance is still a huge part of my life and I will continue to do it as long as my body will let me – It feeds my soul.

Around the time I had my son, I started “making” again, selling fibre-based jewellery and screen-printed silk scarves at local art and craft fairs…but I still didn’t feel like an artist. So when my son went to school, so did I. At the age of 50, I graduated from OCAD University with a Bachelor of Design degree, with a focus on textiles. Going to art school was one of the best experiences of my life and has shaped the person I am today. One of the proudest moments of my life was when I graduated. Fast forward ten years, and I spend most of my time in my studio bringing the images in my mind into the real world.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I graduated from OCAD University, I received a grant to commercialize my graduating-thesis project. I had been exploring wearable sensors that transformed body movement into music, embedding the sensors into bellydance costumes. While I loved exploring the use of technology and textiles as an artist, I did not enjoy turning my work into an entrepreneurial venture. I spent several years trying to gain traction as an entrepreneur and I continued to pursue it because I thought it was expected of me. No one was putting pressure on me, except me. When I made the decision to move away from the venture and go back to my textile work, I felt a heavy weight lifted from my shoulders. It wasn’t long after that that I quit drinking and started the creative process that drives my current work. Every day I face creative and business challenges but they are challenges that continually bring me joy and joy is what makes my life rich.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lorettafaveri.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorettafaveri/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papertapestries/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loretta-faveri-2594b013/

Image Credits
All images created and photographed by Loretta Faveri