Masks tell story of Native folklore

September 1, 2016. Calgary artist Elizabeth Laishley is showing her new mixed media creations, together with the stories they are based on, in an unusual and innovative exhibition featured at Mount Royal University, Bissett Art Gallery, in Calgary. “I have been fascinated with Native folklore for years. Throughout my travels I have gathered stories as well as collected masks,” said Laishley. In this exhibition, Laishley puts a face on those stories. The face is a mask attached to the canvas. The pieces consist of a combination of numerous art forms she has mastered over the last 40 years of her artistic career. The masks are papier mache. Some attachments are outlines of her designs as a fibre artist and instructor and the rest is the work of a visual artist, combining folk art, abstracts and expressionistic art. The exhibition is open until Oct. 27. An open house is scheduled for Sept. 15, with Laishley in attendance.
 

“I feel the masks come alive and transmit a more powerful message. Each piece also has a story to go with, uniting the visual arts with the literary and performance art,” writes Elizabeth Laishley in her artist’s statement.