Artist Statement

I am a Guelph-based artist whose practice integrates abstract forms and intuitive mark-making to explore repetition, deconstruction, and collage. Through a combination of painting, monotype printing, and hand-dyed textile techniques, my work examines the fragility of life, memory and materials.

What began in 2020 as a curiosity about natural dyes evolved into a focused practice following a workshop in the fall of 2023. Since then, I’ve been constructing two-dimensional fibre works using repurposed cotton sheets and plant-based dyes, drawing inspiration from the repetitive structures of medical imaging—CT scans, MRIs, mammograms, and X-rays. As part of an ode to domestic ritual, I am also experimenting with aprons dyed with food waste, turning everyday remnants into material memory.

Mary Calarco (she/her) graduated from the Interdisciplinary Studies program at the Ontario College of Art (OCAD University). Her artwork can be found in private collections across Canada.

I have extensive experience in arts administration, fine art/craft adjudication, and event management. My community outreach work extends across the private, public and non profit sectors. (One of a Kind Show, Craft Ontario, City of Guelph, ArtsSmarts, Guelph Arts Council)