The exhibition explores a shared legacy closely tied to flax production. Curated by Professor Karen Fleming, University of Ulster, it features 12 works designed by 14 creators from Canada and Ireland who are recognised for their excellence in their practice of crafts or applied arts. Exhibitors include Rachel O’Neill [pictured here], Stuart Cairns, Lyndsay McDougall, Martha Cashman, Janine Parent, Derek John Wilson and Jill Phillips, Liz Nilsson and Susan Warner Keene.

The exhibition is part of the Biennale International du Lin de Portneuf (BILP), an artistic and cultural event celebrating contemporary practices related to flax and linen, both technically and conceptually.  It takes place at cultural exhibition centres in the Portneuf region of Quebec Province, Canada. 

The exhibition explores a common legacy shared by makers from Quebec, Canada and Ireland that is closely tied to flax production, passed on by Protestants exiled from France in the 17th century. The migration of these Huguenots’ know-how created some sort of linen diaspora.

This fibre’s evocative power continues to inspire creativity. Elaborated concepts and reinvented processes clearly attest to linen’s contemporaneity, whether it is used as a material or as inspiration. 

The exhibition opens on 25 June at the Moulin de la Chevrotiere in Quebec and is supported by Craft NI and the University of Ulster. For more information visit the Linen Biennale website.