Sharon Rubuliak - Artist statement:
I design and construct quilted wallhangings from traditional and non-traditional fibres and found materials.

I am drawn to the look and feel of fabric and fibres, and intrigued by the endless possibilities for manipulation and transformation. I choose to work in fibre because it is familiar to me as a sewer, and rewarding to work with. Fabrics serve to enhance the stories of ‘everywoman’ that underlie much of my work; it also provides a familiar medium for connecting with viewers.

In my art I combine commercial and hand-dyed or hand-painted fabrics and threads. I use quilting lines to add surface texture and to emphasize movement. I use a variety of techniques to interpret and reinforce ideas; techniques in my work include layering and embellishment with fabric, decorative thread, stamping, beading and found objects or recycled materials.

I work out ideas in notes and sketches and then select materials and techniques that emphasize or complement the ideas. Occasionally, when ideas are unclear I simply start with fabric, gathering colours or textures that appeal and working with simple shapes, allowing the composition to evolve through successive rounds of cutting and sewing.

My work is inspired by reflections on personal experience and everyday events such as physical and social activities, the natural environment, or the news. The works below are inspired by my yoga practice in which I use meditation and movement to quiet my busy mind, shift my focus inward and move to a place of stillness and strength.

I create to please myself, to explore design and technique, to transform ideas into visual works that invite the viewer to reflect, to smile, to see something of themselves or simply to enjoy the play of colour, line, shape and texture. I find tremendous satisfaction when my work resonates with a viewer.

My work has been exhibited in Western Canada and the United States and has garnered awards from the Focus on Fibre Art Association and in quilt guild shows. I am a member of the fibre art group called Filamenta and we show our work in galleries across Western Canada.