"PAIRINGS: an Exhibition by Kathy Piwowar and Edwige Graham" - September 2025 - Yukon Artists At Work

Artist Statement

Yukon artists and friends, Kathy Piwowar and Edwige Graham, come together in Pairings, an exhibition of 36 works presented in dialogue. Each pair is connected through colour, shape, and texture, yet retains the distinct voice of its creator.

This collaboration began as both a challenge and an experiment in creativity. With two very different mediums—Edwige working primarily with textiles and embroidery, and Kathy with mixed media—our goal was to explore what happens when two unique artistic languages intertwine. The process became one of curiosity, play, and mutual inspiration, pushing us to expand beyond familiar boundaries.

Our inspiration grew from the idea that art, like friendship, thrives in exchange. By intentionally pairing our works, we challenge viewers to notice how contrasts, thread and paint, the handmade and the layered, can find surprising harmonies.

Edwige has integrated burlap as a dramatic textural element, hand-embroidering it into her pieces to highlight the tactile nature of fabric and thread. Kathy, meanwhile, has experimented with a wide range of texturizing methods—plastic wrap, alcohol effects, palette knives, and prints from gelli plates—adding depth and movement to her mixed media work.

We invite you to reflect on these pairs, and search for their connections—whether subtle or bold, visual or textural. Perhaps you will also sense the joy and inspiration we found in creating them, side by side.