Ms Joanne Soroka
Nationality: United Kingdom
Year: 1997
Subject Area: Arts and Humanities
I received my scholarship in 1997 to help me to make tapestries for my ‘Unmarked Lives’ project. I wanted to commemorate the lives of my ancestors who were Scottish, Japanese, Lithuanian- and Ukrainian-Jewish by making tapestries based on objects such as boats which I saw in the places they came from. The scholarship allowed me to visit Lithuania and to have time to weave. I had further support from other sources and the project grew into a body of about 50 works of art in tapestry, other textiles and paper. It formed a solo exhibition which toured to ten venues in Canada, the USA and Scotland from 2000 to 2003.
After working on projects in other media for several years and having had commissions, sales and a big prize, I am now back at the loom and enjoying it immensely. I am looking forward to the several exhibitions I have planned.
Photograph: 'Golden Section', tapestry, 143 x 152, 2007.