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Craft Awards

Flora May
MELINDA MAYHALL MEMORIAL AWARD IN INDIGENOUS CRAFT

Flora May is an Inuk artist and educator residing in Toronto, Ontario. She received her Diploma in Textile Arts from College of the North Atlantic (St. John's, Newfoundland) and is currently pursuing her Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design Furniture at Sheridan College. Her work is informed by skills learned at home in NunatuKavut territory, Labrador. Flora leads youth programming ranging from sewing to watercolour, and aims to produce work while promising safe and accessible spaces for Indigenous youth to create and enjoy art.

Building a craft practice around objects with a utilitarian purpose is evident in Indigenous art, and this inspired her to go into homeware and furniture design. Her quilts, upholsteries, and rugs bring focus to their organic fabrics, hand-dyed with care using natural pigments found in plants, bark, soil, and kitchen waste. Flora is creating a thesis body of work in 2022 which will showcase her interdisciplinary creations.

 

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Natural Dye Quilt and Pillows, Solid Wood Milking Stool
Natural dying (Indigo, rust, mud pigments), Shibori, Furniture construction
Pillows 50 x 50cm, Quilt 203 x 163cm, Stool 11 x 11 x 16cm
2018

Natural Dye Quilt
Natural dying (Indigo, rust, mud pigments), Shibori
203 x 163 cm
2018

Sprouting Grass Moon
Cotton, natural dye, embroidery and quilting techniques
60 x 60 cm
2019

Fisherman's Liquor Cabinet
Solid oak, CNC router detail, hand-painted. Inspired by motifs found at a Fisherman's Union building in Newfoundland..
63 W x 43 D x 86 H cm
2021

Interior of Fisherman's Liquor Cabinet
Solid oak custom designed bottle organization, brass stemware rack, removable oak shelving.
63 W x 43 D x 86 H cm
2021

Plywood Lounge Chair
Plywood and maple veneer, bent wood seat.
63 W x 63 D x 73 H cm
2021

Guiding Star Quilt in Honour of MMIWG2S+
Cotton, machine quilting
193 x 193cm
2022

Custom Shelving and Cabinetry for Lakeshore Lofts (Indwell Projects), Co-designed by Natalie Tran
Solid ash, cabinetry construction, lathe-work, CNC routing
365.76 W x 50 D x 213.36 H cm
2022

Crows and Sacred Tobacco
Moose hide painting, natural dye pigments
27 x 45cm
2018

Ukiaq (Autumn) Quilt
Cotton, machine piecing, hand quilting
127 x 147 cm
2020

Who We Are

Formerly the Ontario Crafts Council, Craft Ontario is a not-for-profit service organization that works to have craft recognized as a valuable part of life. We promote and celebrate professional craft through providing member opportunities, and advocate for craft practice by educating and empowering diverse audiences.