ANASTASIA SHIRKIE

BIO

As an interdisciplinary artist, Anastazia brings a high-octane design style to her immersive couture presentations. An early start in visual arts and classical music later led to the University of Regina for Theatre Design, and two summer semesters in New York at Parsons the New School for Design and Maggie Norris Couture. Her costume and scenographic work has been featured in cabaret-style performances such as "Twisted Tea" at Saskatchewan Fashion Week 2017 and "Gloriana": a collaboration with musicians from Hitchhiker's Improv. Largely, Anastazia has focused on creating custom designs for opera and classical musicians and directors in concert, with her work being worn across Canada and internationally. Outside of her design work, she has been writing the blog Fashion Isn't Frivolous since 2015 which has provided speaking and conference invitations through the Canadian Fashion Scholars Network, as well as co-hosting a Fashion and Technology chatroom on Clubhouse. Classical music still holds a special place in her life, and you can catch her as a frequent soprano soloist in Regina's oldest Cathedral - St Paul's, most recently at the Queen's Memorial service which was broadcast on CBC.

Growing up in a farming province, water has always been a crucial element in my life. It feels like we are constantly at the mercy of its unpredictable nature, either facing a deluge of water or being parched with drought. This winter, in particular, has been a unique experience for me in Saskatchewan. The weather has been erratic, presenting us with all of its different faces in rapid succession. Thick fog blankets the fields one day, only to be replaced by freezing rain the next. Immense dumps of snow fall one week, only to be followed by unseasonably high temperatures the next. This has been a season of ethereal beauty and indescribable hardship as we navigate the consequences of this mercurial weather.

Clean water is an incredibly precious resource and in Canada we tend to take it for granted. I’ve grown up with huge fresh bodies of water all around me my whole life. Niagara Falls (one of the largest waterfalls in the world) was less than an hour drive away from me the majority of my life. I have always been so used to being surrounded with water that at times I have forgotten how precious and rare water actually is and forget to appreciate it. I have always found water to be incredibly peaceful and calming. For a huge chunk of my life it was the only thing to bring me peace and calm me down. Whether I am frolicing in the rain, watching crashing waves or floating in the lake, water has always brought me joy. The smell right before it rains and a misty dock on a breezy day are two of my favourite smells in the world. In highschool whenever I had a bad day I would hike to the nearest waterfall and sit on the rocks near the creek or walk to the lake and watch the waves glisten in the moonlight. Water is so healing, it is filled with so much energy and life. It’s powerful and so peaceful.

WHAT DOES WATER MEAN TO YOU?

SUSPENSION

A gilded jewelry box/small curio cabinet hangs forward and open, its contents spilling into space. The box is painted with a trompé l'oeil effect, and features disguised symbols related to the garment and accessories industry, as if they were from a secret society.

The contents of the jewelry box appear to be tumbling out of it: adornments and curios made from found objects and leftover materials from past designs. These materials are used to capture the beauty of various forms of precipitation, from fog to freezing rain.

The price/brand tags reflect an estimate of the water cost and further notes on production, rather than the expected sale price. This is a commentary on the importance of water in the creation of the products we consume and aims to spark conversations about the interconnectivity of our world and the ways in which our choices as consumers can impact the environment and those around us

Overall, this suspension is an exploration of the relationship between water, the garment industry, and the value we place on rarity and beauty. The trompé l'oeil effect and hidden symbols add an air of mystery to the piece, encouraging viewers to engage with it on multiple levels.

FIGURINE

"Guarding Essence" is a figurine featured in the collaborative installation exploring the theme of Rarity. Inspired by Tarique Lewis' poem "Don't Forget," this artwork takes an interpretation about the consequences of selfless giving. The sculpture depicts a figurine immersed in a sea of faux flowers and ephemera. With hands, balanced on fine springs and trembling, extending upwards in a plea for assistance, the figure struggles amidst the overwhelming weight of caretaking. Adorned with a crown resembling melting ice, the sculpture symbolizes the gradual erosion of personal boundaries while it waters the flowers below. A haunting sense of vulnerability permeates the artwork, reflecting the struggle to preserve one's own well-being while attending to others. "Guarding Essence" serves as a poignant reminder that one cannot pour from an empty cup, urging the preservation of personal resources. In parallel, it calls attention to the responsibility of safeguarding Canada's precious natural resources that sustain us all.