Where are you from and what sort of child were you?

Vancouver born and raised! My mother tells me I needed to be by her side every single hour of the day. I was always quite shy but definitely a hellion.

Tell us about your first memories of being creative. What were your early influences and/or exposure to art and culture?

My first memory I ever had was definitely a creative one. I was elbow deep in the tea towel drawer and I tried to fashion some type of outfit out of my favourite ones. The first towel I grabbed I put on my head, which I thought was pure comedy and started to laugh. My mom was watching me and thought it was probably quite cute so she went to grab her camera, but I was like two and became impatient with how long that process took so I have a photograph of me, very unimpressed, frowning with the towel still askew on my head.

Describe your work in 3 sentences or less.

Hand-tufted New Zealand wool rugs and accessories made in Canada by me!

What brought you to textiles? Was there a pivotal moment in your past where you discovered it? Or was it a progression over a period of time?

I studied painting at Emily Carr but through the years I ended up doing large scale embroidery for a few years, exploring how I could create quilts into pieces that cut through time and narratives. I saw the tufting technique online and ordered my own equipment through a sketchy online shop and 8 months later I finally got the machine and my systems working and haven’t stopped creating rugs since.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us?

I don’t think anything is really surprising, I love a good power-tool though and love my motorcycle and love art. I’ve never seen Starwars. This seems to offend the public? I don’t wear makeup but I think it’s pretty great.

Tell us about your first real break.

I think my first real break in my eyes was having an interview with a woman who wrote for a magazine. It wasn’t so much the magazine, how it came, or what it lead to exactly. It was my first real break because the piece of writing was so thoughtful and well written that it was an absolute honor to be able to sit across from a stranger who has been sent to talk to me and have such an engaging conversation about my work and what I’m trying to speak to with making art and commercial products. It still means a lot to me that I got to have that conversation with such a beautiful intellectual woman, have that support and kindness surrounding myself and my work.

What has been the biggest challenge of your artistic career that you’ve encountered so far?

I think the hardest thing is to keep pushing forward, I am always looking to develop the narrative of my work and what I need to see in it. My work is interior design but it’s very much visual art, and the narratives within each piece need to develop with my practice. It’s my biggest challenge and my favourite one too.

What does your average day look like and when are you most productive?

I am definitely most productive at night, but a good cup of coffee, a good lubrication of my machines and I’m off to the races until my arms fall off. I am most productive when I have new music!

What or who inspires you to be your most creative self? And how do you overcome a creative block?

Looking at art, listening to music, talking about art. Reading as much as possible. Usually I just keep drawing even when I feel like I can’t, because as much as I want a break I know that breakthroughs happen when you keep thinking and pushing.

What is your favourite place in the world? Is there anywhere you would still like to visit?

My favourite place in the world is in the ocean. I want to go everywhere.

How would your friends describe you?

Well I wasn’t sure so I asked them, and they said a lot of nice things and then everyone completely roasted me for the laugh. My friends and family are everything to me, and I am so grateful for their joy.

If you could give advice to your 20-year-old self, what would it be?

I think it’s great to make mistakes especially when there’s so much to learn from everything. Of course, I wish I took the student loans, wish I learnt to love myself earlier, maybe wish I was more self-aware. But I wouldn’t change anything because all those mistakes lead me to living a life I really enjoy, making art all the time and I am so lucky I can share my world with other people in so many different ways. I’m very lucky and so grateful for how everything leads to something brighter.

Tell us about your latest work, and anything that’s on the horizon for you?

My latest work is approaching private space. A kindness towards others. A softness. A feeling in a moment. Right now I’m really focused on the rugs and pillows, but some furniture collaborations are next to come!

What would you like us to know about your work?

Something I like to focus on with rug making is the idea of the fifth wall. I like to make pieces that are directional and unusual for what a floor covering typically is. I like pieces that have a top and a bottom and guide you into a room. My work is visual art, it is functional, it creates a different dialogue for floor coverings. I want to be surrounded by the beauty I love in the world.