Jean Marc Raymond

Artist Statement

As a painter, I typically I don’t work on embroidery projects. Breathe. was the inspiration to start work on a mask that drew on my interpretation of all that was happening with the pandemic. What hasn’t changed in my art making practice is that I let myself be inspired by stories and histories. My mask is inspired by stories that were shared with me by my family. I remember learning about how fiddleheads were used to clean out the body after a long winter. Flash forward a few decades, I was working in the garden, transplanting some ferns and I was really interested in the root system and thought it was so beautiful. This immediately transported me back to learning about the powers of this plant and how connecting with the fiddleheads connects me to my heritage and my ancestors. By honouring the cleansing properties of the young fern, I’m embracing the aspect of renewal in this pandemic, choosing to focus on the earth trying to heal herself.