Visiting Artist Opening Reception: Rebecca Hollett

Join us as we celebrate the newly completed work by our recent Visiting Artist in Residence, Rebecca Hollett. The reception will be held at The 600 Apartments from 5:00-7:00PM. This event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP to receive the building access code! 

About Rebecca: 

Rebecca Hollett is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist whose diverse practice spans sculpture, illustration, craft, and installation. Hollett's work emerges from material experimentation and collaborative efforts, weaving together a rich tapestry of influences including mythologies, folk art, and fairy tales.

Central to her work is a process-based approach that begins in her notebooks and sketchbooks, where fleeting ideas evolve into tangible forms. Her work draws inspiration from the natural world and the stories that shaped her childhood, delving into realms of child-like wonder intertwined with macabre undertones. Each creation is marked by the evidence of labor—dirty fingernails and mark-making—signifying a deep connection to the materials she employs.

Currently, Hollett is focused on an ongoing exploration of gourds and pumpkins, captivated by their warty dynamics and perfectly imperfect nature. For her, these forms symbolize life's ephemerality, embodying cycles of decay and rebirth. An intimate relationship with her work is evident as she grows all the gourds used in her casts from seeds nurtured in her garden. With a particular passion for bronze and metal casting, Hollett is fascinated by the unpredictable nature of molten metal and its technical challenges. This fascination transforms the casting process into a ritualistic act, where basic elements are elevated into the extraordinary. Her current series, Divine Gourds, serves as a conduit for exploring themes of death and the supernatural, celebrating beauty in the unconventional and the grotesque. Hollett holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Textile Design from OCAD University and recently graduated from CMU College for Prosthetics and Makeup Design.