Helena Wadsley lives on the unceded territory of the shíshálh (Sechelt) Nation and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) in Roberts Creek, BC, and works with textiles, drawing, and video, incorporating craft techniques into the vernacular of visual art.
She has participated in residencies in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Yukon. Her work has been exhibited in France, Latvia, Greece, UK, US, Australia, and across Canada.
In the past year, her work has been exhibited in Gibsons, Sechelt, Parksville, Vancouver, and Liverpool, UK. She has received Canada Council and BC Arts Council grants. Her artwork has appeared in the following recent publications: Quo Vadis, Tradition and Innovation, 7th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial catalogue, 2023, and Mother Art Prize, 4th edition, by Procreate Project, London, UK, 2025, and Yarn in Contemporary Art, Charlotte Vannier, Pyramyd Editions, 2025. She has a BFA in Art History (Concordia University), Diploma in Studio (ECUAD), and an MFA in Painting (University of Saskatchewan).

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

My practice spans various media, but with a focus on textiles, video, and paper, while intertwining divergent themes—water, home, and the female experience; these connect via the underlying theme of caregiving—towards humans and land. I collaborate with materials such as re-purposed fabrics, locally sourced wool, and found books, each carrying their own meaning and history, to combine my story with theirs. Relationships to nature, home and heritage are both challenged and nurtured.
I use knitting, sewing, and drawing for their slow meditative processes to imbue my physical gestures into the work. These intuitive approaches, while linking to the needle-based techniques of my heritage, are balanced with research in areas of feminist theory, biology, ecology, and literature. From abstract fabric collages and sculptures to video poems, the work offers new perspectives on safekeeping our engagement to nature and nurturing.