Wally Dion
First Nations artist from Canada
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Wally Dion (born 1976) is a Canadian artist from the Yellow Quill First Nation who lives in Upstate New York. Many of his works reimagine the form of the quilt through non-traditional materials.
Wally Dion | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976 (age 49–50) |
| Citizenship | Yellow Quill First Nation and Canadian |
| Education | University of Saskatchewan (BFA, 2004) |
| Alma mater | Rhode Island School of Design (MFA) |
| Website | wallydion |
Early and personal life
Wally Dion is a Sauteaux and a member of the Yellow Quill First Nation. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1976.[1][2] He grew up in Saskatoon.[2] He attended the University of Saskatchewan, graduating with a BFA in 2004.[3] He later earned an MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design.[3]
Work
Dion's earlier quilts were made from repurposed circuit boards.[1][4]
Dion's ongoing series Grass Quilts, which began in 2022,[1] involves using transparent and translucent fabric to make quilts, which are meant to be exhibited outdoors in the wind.[5] The first piece in the series was born from an artist residence in Wanuskewin Park.[1][6] It was originally intended to be a layered piece, with different elements symbolizing prairie grass and the reintroduction of bison; due to time constraints, Dion pivoted instead to a single layer.[1] The series is meant to illustrate how ecosystems are composed of multiple fragile pieces.[6]
Dion has also worked with printmaking, painting, and sculpture.[2][3]
Personal
Dion is based out of Binghamton, New York.[5]
Exhibitions
Solo
- skodenstoodis, University of Saskatchewan (May-August 2022)[3]
Group
- Before and after the Horizon: Anishinaabe Artists of the Great Lakes, National Museum of the American Indian (2013-2014)[7][8]
- Connective Tissue: New Approaches to Fiber in Contemporary Native Art, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (2017)[9]
- The Art of the People: Contemporary Anishinaabe Artists, Muskegon Museum of Art (2020)[10]
- Remai Modern[3]
- Host, Bonavista Biennale (2023)[11]
- un/tangling, un/covering, un/doing, University of the Fraser Valley (2024)[12]
- Stitching the Revolution: Quilts as Agents of Change, Mattatuck Museum (2024)[13]
- Objects USA, R & Company (2024)[14]
- Manual Assembly , The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery of York University (2024)[15]
Collections
Dion's works are held in multiple collections, including:
- Saskatchewan Arts Board ("Star Blanket" (2006))[3]
- Portland Art Museum ("Green Star Quilt" (2019))[4]