OUSHIES ART

Hello my name is ALYSHA

I am a Vaughan-born artist, who studied in Toronto at OCAD University, earning a BFA in Drawing and Painting. My creative practice involves an emphasis on textiles and I try to be a sustainable artist in my practice by using recycled materials or found objects. Covid-19 has impacted my practice by pushing me to use recycled materials because I was unable to go purchase new materials in-store, as the arts were deemed "nonessential." But art is ESSENTIAL, art is NOT DEAD, and art is needed to transform and rebuild our communities. 

During the first lockdown of Covid-19, I asked my friends and family to donate their materials to me and I was overwhelmed by the amount of support and materials that were donated. Textiles have become a major factor in my work; I try to connect with my generational history, as my Nonna was a seamstress in Italy. I found that fabric was very forgiving and I wanted to be like fabric: fluid, forgiving, and malleable. 

Most of my inspirations derive from plants, the female body, politics, and textiles. I am interested in Object Oriented Ontology, the human connection to objects, and I try to incorporate this theme in my work. I feature space through the tactile quality of my work to create an interesting combination of art in space. 

Other artists that have inspired me are: Veronika Szkudlarek, Nicole Katsuras, Judy Chicago, Shelia Hicks and Ebony G. Patterson.