Arts Sutton presents
‘Wrought’ by Sandra Smirle

An exhibition evoking solidity, structure, and the transformation of materials

By Andrew Burlone

Edited June 2, 2025

Arts Sutton Contemporary Art Centre presents Wrought, an exhibition by Canadian artist Sandra Smirle, from May 29 to June 29. This exhibition offers the public an opportunity to discover the full scope of the artist’s innovative and engaged artistic approach, in the heart of the Eastern Townships.

Sandra Smirle describes the Wrought series as an exploration of the tension between the visible and the invisible, the hidden structures that shape our world.

Thanks to a generous research and creation grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, Sandra Smirle unveils the results of her work from the past 18 months through this project. In Wrought, the artist shapes materials such as reclaimed marine ropes and linen thread, using a basketry technique with these ropes to create highly complex works. The layering of elements suggests both fragility and resilience.

Sandra Smirle describes her Wrought series as an exploration of the tension between the visible and the invisible, the hidden structures that shape our world. Through her work, she invites the public to reflect on how our environments are constructed, both physically and ideologically. “By incorporating recycled and discarded materials into my practice, I seek to highlight the cultural, social, and environmental consequences of consumerism, overconsumption, and labour that these unsustainable habits can have on our planet.”

“My work often relies on repetitive and sustained labour, which, while meditative, is also a means of materializing ideas through implementation rather than through abstraction. I am engaged by such experimentation and how it pushes my work in new directions, towards new possibilities… Ultimately, I am interested in creating works that act as a cautionary beacon, warning us of the fragility of ecosystems and our responsibility to exercise stewardship and balance.”

About ‘Wrought’

The series title plays on the double meaning of the word wrought, which means shaped or worked, but also refers to wrought iron. This word evokes both solidity and structure, as well as the human intervention involved in transforming materials.

The Wrought series has been presented in several galleries across Canada and the United States, both as solo exhibitions and in group shows, including in fall 2024 as part of a group exhibition at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum.

It was also the focus of a solo exhibition at ArtsPlace Gallery in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, in February 2024, and served as the basis for a residency/exhibition in spring 2024 at AdMare artist centre in the Magdalen Islands. The series has been praised for its refined execution and the depth of its conceptual reflection.

In winter 2022, Sandra Smirle established a connection with the Ghost Gear Fund, a federal program led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada aimed at reducing the presence of plastics in our oceans. A partnership was created with one of the funded organizations for the collection of ghost gear. Through Merinov, the artist received a significant batch of ropes recovered in the Magdalen Islands. She would like to warmly thank Marie-Ève Clark and Merinov for their ongoing support of this project.

By reusing ropes—so-called ‘ghost ropes’—retrieved after being abandoned at sea, and transforming them into objects with organic and anthropomorphic forms, this series of works addresses the issue of consumerism and its consequences on ocean health, and by extension, our own. It opens a dialogue about the impact of human activity on the climate and the planet’s natural ecosystems.

About Sandra Smirle

Sandra Smirle is a multidisciplinary Canadian artist recognized for her innovative explorations of mapping, surveillance, and the built environment. Her work often combines drawing, installation, and mixed media techniques to question how we perceive and inhabit space. Smirle frequently uses maps, grids, and aerial views to interrogate how landscapes are controlled, divided, and interpreted.

To learn more:
Site officiel de Sandra Smirle

Wrought

Galerie d’art contemporain Arts Sutton
7 Academy Street, Sutton, Quebec J0E 2K0
May 29 to June 29, 2025

Open Thursday to Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Opening reception: Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 2 p.m.

info@artssutton.com • 450-538-256

Image: Courtesy of Arts Sutton

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