Biography.
Born in Poland, Joanna Staniszkis studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She joined the faculty of the University of British Columbia, Canada in 1969, where she taught design, textile design and costume history at the rank of associate professor. Ms. Staniszkis has received numerous honors and awards: she was the recipient of the prestigious Saydie Bronfman Award in 1981, the Canada 125 Medal in 1993, Canada Council awards in 2001 and 2004, the Queen’s Golden Jubelee Medal in 2002.She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions and specializes in the creation of large-scale architectural textile commissions found in the lobbies and offices of major corporations in Canada as well as in public museums and private collections.
She shares her time between her home in Vancouver and atelier in the Luberon, France. Fashion and designing one of a kind art clothing has been Joanna’s latest passion.
Artist’s Statement
I felt that it is quite appropriate to bring the silk themed exhibition to Salzburg- the City of Salt. Silk and salt have been for centuries traveling the same trade roads. While, in the past ,they shared the same trails , they have also been equally precious , as precious as gold.
It might be surprising to us today, but centuries ago, salt was the only way to preserve food and it’s extraction was very labour intensive. Nowadays the value of salt has significantly diminished, while silk remained precious. The invention of synthetic fibres have reduced the silk production, only to make it even more valuable. My interest in silk goes back many years. While teaching , I have always emphasized the importance of going to the sources in order to understand the nature of materials.
Raising silk worms myself I watched with amazement the miracle of the silk worm spinnning the thinnest of filaments and then enclosing itself in a silky cocoon and then emergeing completely changed into a beautiful moth . This inspired me to celebrate that miracle of change by creating artworks, which are informed by this mysterious process. Silk is magical !
Joanna Staniszkis
Prof. Emerita
University of British Columbia. Canada
