Trace Yeomans – Curator’s Choice Summer 2022

“In the past, I have done a lot of pieces that reflect on my lineage and culture. I am very proud of my (dual) heritages and find (each one) interesting. I am constantly trying to combine both Haida and Ukrainian aspects of my culture into my life.” – Trace Yeomans

Originally, Trace Yeomans began designing with her husband Don Yeomans and then later embarked upon creating her own artworks in ultra-suede, oil painting, and dabbling in wood carving. She is an expert sewer and painter who has an innate attention to detail. Her ideas are boldly experimental and courageous while illustrating how multi-cultural imagery can be blended seamlessly.

Born to a Ukrainian father, she is belongs to the Haida Raven clan and spent most of her early life in Skidegate on the Haida Gwaii Islands in northern British Columbia. She comes from a family of carvers and her grandfather Tim Pearson was well-known for his Argillite pieces. Her grandmother Rebecca was a seamstress and button blanket maker and she would watch her sew, which began her interest in art whilst a young child. She made her first button blanket at age eleven, which she used to dance at the Bill Reid pole raising for the long house in Skidegate.

Trace’s passion has always been painting although she is known for Dance Regalia with appliqued Haida designs as well as textile art techniques, some of which are on display at international museums.

“I’ve been lucky enough to experience doing a few [exhibitions] alongside my husband, Don. I have a lot of different ideas and Don has always been open and supportive of everything I do.”

He once told me; “Perfection is the absence of soul.”

“As an artist, it rings so true for me. I was doing a show on my own a few years ago and I became frustrated with the details in one of my oil paintings I was working on. Don said this to me, and I thought it was so profound and beautiful.”

“I believe, if we get too caught up in trying to achieve ‘perfection’ in our work, we can lose the essence, the ‘soul’.”

“Mastering [your] craft is important, but in the end, if that’s ‘all’ a person sees, then I believe the ‘soul’ is lost and just a ‘perfect’ craft remains.” – Trace Yeomans

To view Trace Yeomans entire collection in our Gallery and for more details, please click here.