Kristi Farrier: You Can't be Here if You're There

Alberta – Arrival #1 by K. Farrier  (2021) w23" x h29”   

Alberta – The Ties That Bind

Alberta is my place of birth and coming of age.

Often a place of memory and revisiting – even when I am there in the present.

Saskatchewan – Renewal

Saskatchewan provided me with the space to grow.

It holds spirit and inspiration, mixed with myth, mystery, and a bit of magic.

Cape Breton – All That’s Possible

Cape Breton is my home; my here and now. 

It’s a place of everyday ordinary life that I love and yet, where all things are possible to me.

(KF, excerpt from a longer piece, 2020)

SAQA Atlantic member Kristi Farrier is a textile artist and hand papermaker based out of Flying Finch Studio in Middle River, Cape Breton Island.

You Can’t be Here if You’re There is a series of art quilts Kristi created as part of a three-artist collaboration on the theme: Place in Perspective. Her pieces examine her personal experiences with the three provinces the trio has in common: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.  

Hélène Blanchet and Alison Dean Cowitz complete the trio, each having created her own body of work reflecting that same theme. Their exhibition opened in September 2021 at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design and will be travelling to galleries across the country.

I recently spoke with Kristi about her own experience as part of this collaborative project.

Kristi, how would you describe your textile work? 

I would describe it as contemporary abstract art. My pieces express my responses to significant experiences, events and places. Line and color are primary elements in these whole cloth fabric pieces which I mark with thread-stitch, paint, dyes and inks. 

The 15 quilts in You Can’t Be Here If You’re There explore my links to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Cape Breton, three places with which I am deeply connected. The pieces feature colours and motifs which spring from these places and which emerge through my spontaneous curvilinear machine quilting.  

Saskatchewan – Father’s Finery by K Farrier (2020)
w18.5" x h 27½”  

How was your experience of working collaboratively?

This was my first artist collaboration, and it was amazing! I feel it really lifted me to a new level as an artist. We met regularly, had deadlines and were all committed to the project. We became close friends, creating an inspiring and safe space for exploring new ideas. Each of us brought different skills to the group, forming a strong team for planning and executing the exhibition. 

Our SAQA mentor, Tracey Lawko, challenged us creatively and guided us through the curatorial and exhibition coordination processes.

The project’s success came because we really supported each other creatively, raised each other up during the trying times, and balanced each other well for the administrative aspects of the project.

Where can this exhibition be seen?

We currently have five confirmed venues and expect to confirm more in the coming months. 

• The Chester Art Centre, Chester, Nova Scotia - October 26 to November 13, 2022
• The Ice House Gallery, Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia - February 2023
• The Craig Gallery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia - March 2023
• The Quilt Canada Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia - June 8 to 10, 2023.
• The Crowsnest Pass Gallery, Frank, Alberta - May 2024

Cape Breton - Maple Buds and Snow Squalls
by K. Farrier (2021) w12.5" x h18”  

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See more of Kristi Farrier’s work on her website, Flying Finch Studio.