Threads of Memory
Ft. Julie Gladstone and Olivia Mae Sinclair
June 14 - 28
Reception: Saturday, June 14 @ 3 - 5 pm, Artist talk @ 3:45 pm
RSVP your attendance to responses@wallspacegallery.ca
Presales open Saturday, June 7 at 10 am, in-person, online, and over the phone at 613-729-0003. Please contact the gallery if you'd like to view the works in-person.
Wall Space Gallery is proud to present Threads of Memory, a duo-exhibition of artwork by Julie Gladstone and Olivia Mae Sinclair. In this exhibition, the artists engage in intimate dialogues with trauma, memory, and transformation. Both artists delve into deeply personal experiences, navigating the intersection of internal and external landscapes, as they explore the ways in which time, spirituality, and physical forms shape our healing processes.
Gladstone’s work explores themes of ancestral healing, ecology, and the transformation of everyday materials. Rooted in Jewish traditions and influenced by her Sephardic heritage, her practice delves into the idea of repair—both personal and ecological—as a way of processing inherited trauma. Her mixed-media pieces, often incorporating found objects and textiles, act as vessels for spiritual reflection and reconciliation. Through the act of stitching and the use of everyday remnants, she turns fragments of daily life into sacred offerings, embodying the idea of “repairing the world.” Gladstone’s patchwork and stitching techniques also reflect the ritual practices of Sephardic women, turning ordinary materials into objects of spiritual and cultural significance. The inclusion of aerial grid views and references to the Anthropocene bring attention to issues of ecological decay and impermanence, while suggesting the potential for healing through creative, mindful action.
In contrast, Sinclair’s work is an exploration of softness in a world that demands hardness. Sinclair’s delicate prints, primarily on linen and repurposed lace, present a meditative confrontation with trauma, apology, and forgiveness. Her new body of work continues her exploration of opposites: the tension between rigid architectural forms and the vulnerability of lace, the hard and the soft, the controlled and the open. By leaving her pieces unframed, Sinclair emphasizes the rawness and openness of the material—inviting the viewer to witness both the vulnerability and the resilience woven into her practice. Her work is deeply personal, reflecting her own journey of re-processing trauma, yet it is universally resonant in its quiet strength. Her focus on the softness of the materials is a conscious choice, a resistance to the hardness imposed by the outside world, and a redefinition of strength and healing through gentleness.
The juxtaposition of these two artists reveals profound conversations about transformation, vulnerability, and the body’s relationship to time. While both artists create works that invite contemplation on the nature of healing—whether through meditation, ritual, or material alchemy—each explores these themes in radically different ways. Gladstone’s approach is ritualistic and expansive, with her works referencing historical narratives and the cycle of life and death, while Sinclair’s work is quieter, more intimate, and focused on personal resilience and the ongoing process of recovery.
Together, Gladstone and Sinclair create a space where healing is both a collective and personal journey, where materials are imbued with meaning, and where time itself becomes a medium for repair. Threads of Memory offers the viewer an invitation to reflect on their own relationship with trauma, healing, and the passage of time—how we mend, how we soften, and how we find meaning in the fragments left behind. This exhibition is a testament to the transformative power of art to repair, renew, and regenerate—both for the artist and the viewer alike.
Curator
Haruka Toyoda
