Most recently part of a Craft Nova Scotia members' exhibition ("Sustainability Through Craft," Mary E. Black Gallery, October-November 2023), van Kats's "My Grandmother's Gifts" reinterprets a long-standing textile tradition.
Braiding and plaiting of outworn family clothing and linens is a generations-old practice. Its roots can be traced back to the east coast of North America. Creating rugs with this method typically formed part of women’s and girls’ activities during the cold, winter months.
Emerging from its historical context, "My Grandmother’s Gifts" elevates the functional form of a rug from a utilitarian item and imposes it into three-dimensional space. It demands consideration; it is not to be walked on or over – it is to be navigated around. It interjects, comments, and bears witness to the knowledge transferred between generations. "My Grandmother’s Gifts" thereby holds space for the uncountable women and girls whose work impacted the home.
I learned this craft tradition from my Acadian grandmother and although she is many years gone, in continuing to practice and improve, I walk with her and our forebears in every piece I make.
Canadian pan-media artist, Bee van Kats, channels her inquisitive nature into interpreting and presenting the world through compelling narratives.
Tapping into a rich history of textiles and printmaking, van Kats's work is an investigation of traditional and emerging techniques, the technological divide, and other themes which impact how art is produced, perceived and passed on in the 21st century. Exploring the nexus between science and art, evolving processes and perceptions, she asks what it means to be human in the technological world.
Van Kats is in her fourth year at NSCAD (Halifax, Nova Scotia), where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She previously studied drawing, film, and storytelling at Sheridan College (Oakville, ON) in the classical animation department.