Ilse Anysas-Salkauskas

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Box 93
Cochrane AB
Canada, T4C 1A4

ilse@anm.org

Artist Statement

The desire to work with colourful textiles and leather is in my blood. I love the tactile aspects of the materials. With them I create my 2D and 3D tapestries and sculptures.

My Lithuanian Mother and Grandmothers’ creative fibre artworks inspired me to study Art at the Alberta College of Art and Design. I graduated in 1980 and I have been teaching there part-time since 1986. I am carrying on the creative fibre art traditions of my maternal ancestors in my own style.

In my artwork, I combine both representational and expressionistic images to express my artistic ideas. I use a variety of materials and have found that using either or both realistic and or abstract images, gives my life balance.

My award winning pieces are exhibited in public and private collections both nationally and internationally.

Foothills Music
49" x 39"- © 2000 - NFS

This piece was inspired by the foothills and mountain vista that I see every day. Changing continually, it is reminiscent of a musical work.   

 3-D corduroy, machine embellished

 

Three Old Pals
26.5" x 38"- © 2004 - $2,200.00

These old and weather-beaten granaries not far from my home have seen many things in their lifetime. They seem like real characters, somewhat like three pensioners sitting in the field.

Cotton fabrics, cotton and synthetic threads, machine embellished

 

Rising from the Ashes
80" x 48"- © 2003 - $5.000.00

This was created for the Out of the Wildfire exhibit at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff, in 2004. In the spring of 2005, it was one of the pieces chosen by the Alberta Craft Council for the Alberta Scene exhibit at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. It consists of leather strips knotted together to form a three dimensional free-flowing tapestry.

 

Stories My Mother Told Me
17.5" x 15" x 53"- © 2005 - NFS 

This leather sculpture was created for the “Inside the Dress” project shown at the McMullen Gallery in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2005. The title, Stories my Mother Told Me, brings me visions of warmth, comfort, protection. This project has given me the opportunity to connect to my past through my Mother’s family stories. I am now telling these same stories to my daughters and granddaughters and through this process am continuing to connect  them to their past as well.