Bear Epp

Bear Epp
Commoncraft

With a background in Craft & Design from Sheridan, Niagara College, the Banff Centre for the Arts and Harbourfront Centre Craft Studios, Bear Epp has worked in the creative industry for over three decades as an artist, arts programmer, teacher and creative director. As an artist, she has exhibited in Canada and internationally and has commissioned work held in the permanent collection of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Dedicated to building community through creative exchange, Bear facilitates artist workshops and retreats throughout Ontario including Gather Modern Textile Market as well as focuses her on her own studio practice in Cherry Valley, Ontario, creating contemporary folk hand-hooked rugs inspired by her Mennonite heritage and lived experience.

Artist Statement

I am a textile artist specializing in hand-hooked, contemporary folk-art rugs. My current work delves into the intricate beauty and darker aspects of the natural world through expressive, narrative compositions. Each piece is crafted using traditional techniques, with wool strips cut and hand-hooked into a linen foundation—a method passed down through generations, inspired by the craftsmanship of my grandmother.

• commoncraft_bearepp
• Common Craft Elora

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