Born on Treaty Six territory in Alberta, Patricia Williams now lives on the unceded territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking people (Esquimalt and Songhees) on Vancouver Island.  She integrates traditional Metis art materials with contemporary media, creating artifacts that examine and reflect her personal and cultural connection to the natural world.

 

Patricia’s early creative influences are grounded in familial ties.  Her paternal grandmother generously provided her with art supplies from a very early age, including artist-grade oil and watercolour paints. Patricia’s childhood imagination was also captivated by the beautifully beaded Indigenous artifacts in her grandmother’s antique shop, and she credits her love of beauty and textiles to her mother.  Her daughter and her sister are contemporary Metis artists that inspire her work.

 

Patricia is a clinical counselor and a registered art therapist. Her formal training also includes a Certificate in Visual Arts, and undergraduate courses in art history and studio process at the University of Alberta. In addition to working with textiles, beading and printmaking, Patricia finds that fused glass offers a direct and satisfying connection to working with light and capturing a sense of the sacred in the natural world.  The blown glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly and Sheila Hicks’ brilliantly coloured, large scale textile sculptures inspire her current studio work. Creating with textiles provides a direct connection to Patricia’s Metis culture and identity.