Biography
For York, the material is the muse. Hand harvesting her own plant materials for sculptural basketry, she spends many hours processing wild plants into a more refined state; invaluable time spent learning her materials by feel—a kind of moving meditation that informs the work ahead.
Never ending curiosity drives her fascination with plants—experimental, process driven, daily studio practice often unearths unexpected results. Working between three-and two-dimensional work, she is always asking “what if?” in an attempt to combine ancient techniques with a modern aesthetic.
With a background in both graphic and jewelry design, York's contemporary craft work naturally flows towards mixed media. Vintage textiles, wild crafted inks, botanical contact printing with real leaves or flowers, and hand stitching all make their way into her mixed media collages. As the world around us becomes increasingly inundated with content created by generative AI, she invites people to pause and remember the slow process of crafting hand made objects.
Her sculptural basketry was chosen as one of 50 finalists (from over 2000 submissions) in the 2019 Salt Spring National Art Prize. That same year her work was juried into the Sooke Fine Arts show, receiving an honourable mention judges prize.
Shown and collected internationally, her pieces tends to find homes with nature lovers, creative souls, and people who appreciate the lengthy process that goes into the work.
York has spent her entire life on the West Coast of British Columbia, living in both Victoria and Vancouver, and now resides in the Southern Gulf Islands. Her first job was in a flower shop, where, perhaps, it all started.
