Magic Circle for Earth Communion Exhibition, Workshop and Artist Talk
About the Program
Magic Circle for Earth Communion will consist of a large textile artwork made in response to an illustration in an appendix of a 2008 edition of The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, an influential handbook of magic used by settlers in Waterloo County as late as the 1950s. Knowles will explore these folk magic and textile traditions in a “magical” sewing and patterning practice that seeks to reformulate our relationship to land.
Reilly Knowles (he/him) is an interdisciplinary artist living in London Township, Treaty Six territory (London, Ontario). His work explores supernatural stories and traditions from the settler cultures of Southern Ontario in order to reimagine settler relationships to the stolen Indigenous lands on which he lives. His intent is to foster a less violent and more meaningful connection with the land through traditions of storytelling and the fantastical. A Western University graduate (BFA), Knowles has exhibited with Forest City Gallery, Jordan Art Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre and Good Sport Gallery, of which he is a member.
Museum London is Southwestern Ontario’s leading establishment for the collection and presentation of visual art and material culture. Through public and educational programming, special events and exhibitions, Museum London strives to promote the knowledge and enjoyment of regional art, culture and history. Their art collection has more than 5,000 regional and Canadian works and their 50,000 artifacts reflect the history of the City of London as an important regional urban centre in Southwestern Ontario.
