Tina MARAIS

In her sculptures, South-African artist Tina Marais explores the experience of matter and tactile memory with complex handsewn assemblies of fabric and various objects (buttons, clay, velvet, satin, etc.). She interweaves memories of places of her upbringing with materiality, ecology, nature, and the political in her captivating and mysterious works. Fascinated by the physiognomy of organic elements in nature, she contrasts synthetic and natural materials to create shapes that mirror extraordinary mutating organisms. The addition of found or salvaged elements to her sculptures offer a consideration on our use of fabric and its impact on the environment.

Originally from Cape Town in South Africa, Tina Marais is a visual and fiber artist established in Montreal since 2011. She holds two diplomas of the Fine Arts Open Window Art Institute of South Africa (1996-99) and will complete in 2022 a Master in Fibres and Materials Practices at Concordia University, Montreal (Qc). Her artworks have been presented in more than 10 solo exhibitions, 50 group exhibitions and at multiple biennials in Canada, United States, Belgium, China, Ukraine, South Korea, South Africa, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, and Uruguay, where she was awarded the honorable mention at the “VII World Textile Art Biennial” at Montevideo in 2017. Marais is also a public speaker and presented her art practice in more than sixty cultural mediation and community art projects in Quebec and internationally, such as the 8th World Textile Art Biennial of Madrid, 2019, and in Portugal for “Contextile” in 2018. She is the recipient of many prizes, honors and grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec since 2012. Her artworks are part of numerous private collections, and many of her artworks are presented in various Quebec municipalities, thanks to the support of the cities and different government programs, such as the Salle Pauline Julien in Sainte-Geneviève and at the Paul-Émile Meloche theatre in Vaudreuil-Dorion.

CLICK HERE to view the video for the exhibition “NATURE SECRÈTE INDOMPTÉE”
CLIQUEZ ICI/CLICK HERE (143 downloads ) to download the visual pamphlet of the exhibition “NATURE SECRÈTE INDOMPTÉE”

Learn more about the artist:
Art Souterrain: «Entrevue avec l’artiste Tina Marais»
Craft Council Gallery: «Codex III»
BIEN Bienale: «Tina Marais: Artist Talk»
Art Video: «Ubuntu»
MOZAÏK: «Tina Struthers – Elle laisse les matériaux lui parler»
Ville de Sainte-Catherine: «Résilience, sculpture publique au parc Optimiste»
La fabrique culturelle: «L’art textile en mouvement»
Entracte saison 5 épisode 4: «Tina Struthers»