Artist Statement

‘I make Fabric Art because it’s what I love to do.

To create something unique and reflective of how I feel. To explore sensations of interpretation and observation through the medium of textile and thread. To expand the expected. To follow an idea along an intuitive, spontaneous and progressive path. To play with flow and movement. To use the building blocks of abstraction, texture, colour, line and space to tell a story.

To unlock the secret hidden within each scrap… '

Biography

Cathie Ugrin is a Manitoba based fabric artist whose work is characterized by a rich and inventive use of colour and unique approach to geometrical design. In 2012, her work "I know where the summer goes" was accepted as part of the Oh Canada exhibit which toured for four months across the United States. It was finally displayed at the prestigious and world’s largest International Quilt Festival held in Houston, TX, attended by over 60,000 individuals. Since that time, her work has been accepted into numerous National Juried Shows in Canada and the US, including SAQA’s ‘Colour with a U’ and the Grand National Fibre Art Exhibit, ‘Crossroads’. Cathie has had both a 2018 Solo Exhibit Feelings from Without and Within as well as a 2019 Collaborative Exhibit VIEWPOINTS - a unique photo-fabric journey with photographer Dmitry Kirshner. Her work Blood Lines and WomanKind are currently showing as part of the Drawn Together Collectives Stimulus/Response exhibit.

She is one of the founding members and Exhibits Coordinator for the Textile and Fibre Artists of Manitoba as well as one of the rural MB, female artists in the Drawn Together Collective.

Sharing impressions and experiences of life that are reflected in her artwork, Cathie has created the presentation ‘Art and Mental Health’, a combination live trunk show + 45 minute PowerPoint based on her experiences of living with a family member suffering from mental health issues.

Cathie has studied with numerous international fabric and quilt artists continually expanding her technique and approach while advancing her growth as an artist. Her pieces have reached a broad audience and have found homes across Canada, the United States, England, Finland, Italy, Slovenia and Peru.  Through the exploration and use of different techniques and her compelling use of colour, she provides a distinct view of her artistic vision.

Her work is uniquely custom designed and she is available to discuss teaching, presentations, projects and commissions.