Shelley Hakonson

Shelley Hakonson’s beautifully layered works present the viewer with narrative structures that draw directly from history and legends. Through these she finds the untold stories, the clothes people wore, the way they dressed, ate and worshipped – the stories of common people. Working with acrylic glazes, her paintings retain a luminous lacquered quality, but their most striking feature is the close relation they bear to her dynamic textile works, which incorporate silks, raw fibres and layered papers. The complexity and texture is replicated, the vibrant pigments and the fluidity of form. Despite this intensity, Hakonson’s superb handling results in intense color that is perfectly balanced and subtle. The large pieces encompass the viewer, drawing them in with sweeping lines and intricate detail. Using mixed media has allowed her to keep her style expressive and allows her to evolve and explore new ideas, always keeping her work fresh.

Shelley Hakonson grew up in Vancouver, BC, and is inspired by her Celtic heritage.