An elaborate fabric waterfall is the showpiece for Texada artist Deborah Dumka’s new exhibit, In My Nature. On display at 32 Lakes Café until the end of December, the exhibit highlights Dumka’s expertise in textile arts, as well as her ability to recreate experiences with nature. A collaborative piece with three artists from Sechelt Peninsula, the waterfall features interactive sounds from Stromberg Falls on Texada. Dumka is president of Canadian Crafts Federation, a board member of Craft Council of BC and also creates an impressive inventory of handmade totes, backpacks, pouches and handbags.
Can you tell us about In My Nature and how it all came about?
The pieces are designed to be extracts of experiences you might have in nature and the exhibition is a series of felt carpets I have made. I live on Texada Island and noticed how much people appreciate the restorative nature of its beaches and spaces. I started thinking about how strongly people connect to natural spaces and how it’s something deep within us; we come preprogrammed to receive and be restored by experiences through nature.
What has been the response to these felt pieces?
I think I’ve been able to touch people with them. I was trying to inspire people to reach back into their own memories around experiences they’ve had in nature. It wasn’t that I wanted to say, “This is my experience,” but have people go back to something that has touched them in the past. So, yes, I’ve had lots of great response.
You are also involved with craft organizations. Why is that important to you?
There’s not a huge opportunity for those who come from a craft background to display work and have it recognized as a practice in the realm of visual arts. So this is an opportunity to try and have some influence on behalf of craft artists.
What is it like to see people interacting with the large waterfall piece in your show?
It’s really satisfying to see that people understand it. People stand there with their eyes closed, so you can see that they are imagining they are someplace else in their own set of falls. I really enjoy people interacting with the textile form of my work. The pieces are designed to suffer some wear and tear, so I am happy that people can physically interact with the work.
For more information, go to deborahdumka.ca.
