Amanda McCavour

In my work, I use a sewing machine to create thread drawings and large scale installations. Using my sewing machine, I am able to create a range of designs- from objects in my home like backpacks and shoes to brightly coloured abstract patterns. I often sew into fabric that dissolves in water so I can build up stitched lines on a temporary surface. The crossing threads create strength so that when the fabric is dissolved, the thread drawing can hold together without a base. With only the thread remaining, these images appear as though they would be easily unraveled and seemingly on the verge of falling apart, despite the works raveled strength. I am interested in thread's assumed vulnerability, its ability to unravel, and its strength when it is sewn together.
I show my work in galleries nationally and internationally with recent solo exhibitions in Ottawa (ON), Virginia Beach (VA) and Vancouver (BC) and has completed residencies at Harbourfront Centre’s Textile Studio in Toronto, and the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture in Dawson City, Yukon. I have received awards and scholarships from the Ontario Crafts Council, The Canada Council for the Arts, The Handweavers and Spinners Guild of America, The Young Masters Art Prize, The Ontario Society of Artists, The Surface Design Association and The Embroiderers Guild of America.