Angela Aujla 2021/2022

About the Artist

Angela Aujla was born in British Columbia and attended Simon Fraser University, receiving a BA and MA in Sociology and Anthropology. She has resided in Innisfil since the late nineties. Angela’s narrative artwork is informed by her academic practice in postcolonial theory and gender studies, and explores the complexities of history, memory, culture, and identity. She seeks to reanimate subjects left on the margins of history, with a focus on South Asian Canadian stories. Her work ranges from mixed media drawing to photo-based digital collage. Angela draws on archival images and her own photography as the basis of many of her pieces. Her work has been exhibited in Simcoe County and beyond, most recently as part of the City of Toronto’s Year of Public Art. Her art has been featured in publications such as the Times of India (Delhi) and Gal-Dem Magazine (UK) and is part of Humber College’s permanent art collection. 

Phulkari Quilt House

Concept Statement

Phulkari Quilt House embodies a vibrant and lively geometric aesthetic, providing a sense of warmth against the background of an icy, white winter landscape. The pattern and motifs are modified from traditional Punjabi phulkari (flower-work) embroidery, the Punjab being the place where my ancestors came here from in 1906. Because phulkari has striking similarities to the barn quilts we see throughout our region, I decided to integrate the quilt style into this design, thus making a connection between cultural traditions of textile work – work done predominantly by rural women. This is my version of sainchi phulkari, a style depicting village life wherein animals figure prominently. The animals depicted are often sighted in the community: foxes, osprey, and of course fish. This design seeks to honour our local animals while serving as a reminder of our collective responsibility to sustain and protect them.