Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
My name is Taylor, I’m 29 and live in Kelowna, British Columbia. I grew up in Kelowna and moved back here last year after a decade of moving around different cities in Canada. I grew up drawing, painting and taking pictures. I always appreciated furniture and textile design and explored different mediums until I found rug making in 2021. Since then I’ve been releasing collections with retailers, participating in art shows, hosting pop-ups, and creating custom work with interior designers.

Is there a moment you look back on as being formative to your identity as an artist?
As a kid I spent hours a day building websites on piczo.com, somehow I learned basic HTML and CSS to customize layouts, add graphics and music, I felt like a mad scientist. And more recently when I moved to Montreal and was instantly welcomed into a community of people who take their art seriously and really show up for each other.

Are there any influences that are core to your work?
I love early digital graphics, visual systems like topographical maps, sci-fi interfaces, textile/weaving diagrams, and imagery that suggests function but is unreadable. There’s a big tech influence, like buttons, symbols and static electricity, I like using long wirey lines and little meeting places like in a circuit board. Graphic design principles have a big influence on my work as well.

How were you introduced to the mediums that you work with?
I was making little woven coasters and giving them to my friends for a while before I wanted to make something bigger like a rug, coincidentally my bestie Rashelle was also interested in rug making, and later ended up teaching me how to do it. Now we both do it full time!

What kind of imagery are you drawn to?
I love the 1980’s, especially tech (phones, computers, clock radios), Japanese utilitarian design and fashion, magazine ads from the 90’s – 2000’s by brands like Oakley, Seiko, Sony and Playstation. Some of my favourite photographers are Medina Kalac, Tianna Franks, Robin De Puy, and Chris Maggio.

What is your process like for designing and producing rugs?
I draw individual shapes on paper and then I draw them on to Procreate and collage and layer until it feels like some sort of order or organization has been reached. I like to pair natural and unnatural colours together. My work is heavily reliant on the small details that make the clashing elements join together. I try to have something interesting happening in every section of the rug considering some areas will be covered by furniture.

How do you balance designing geometric patterns but allowing imperfections that’ll arise when tufting freehandedly?
They go hand and hand from my initial sketches. As a fairly scatterbrained person I find deep satisfaction in order and symmetry, but that can sometimes feel cold or robotic. I think heavy texture and imperfections are inviting.

Is there anything you wanted to explore in this new body of work?
In this collection I leaned into more rounded, archaeological-inspired shapes and cool, moody tones.

What is your experience as an artist living and working in British Columbia?
There’s been a lot less distraction for me in Kelowna, I lean into routine when I’m here and take trips to other cities often to see my friends. There’s a big lake and mountains here so it’s a great place to be in the warm months.

What’s your current studio or workspace like? Do you have any rituals when you settle in there?
I work in a spare room at my grandma’s house. There I draw rug designs and work on different projects like sewing hats and clothing and jewelry making. In my mom’s basement is where my 9’x 6’ tufting frame and boxes of yarn and supplies live, which is a total mess. As far as rituals, I listen to music and podcasts while I work. Tufting can be pretty physically demanding so there’s a lot of breaks and laying flat out on the floor.

How does your creative community now compare to your creative community when you were younger?
My mom does everything, she’s a painter, seamstress, furniture restorer, wool felter, just to name a few. She taught me the value of being a skillful and practical person, especially when it comes to making something instead of just buying it. That’s been a constant, but besides that my friends and I reach out to each other all the time for creative advice.

Are there any traits or characteristics that unify your community?
Resourceful, generous : )