Debra Kuzyk
Debra Kuzyk was born in a small village in rural Canada. Immersed in nature, she developed a reverence for life which has become foundational to her artistic and spiritual practice. Kuzyk’s work is rendered with elaborate detail and joyful colour, and reminds us of the interconnectedness of the natural world. Between daily walks in an old forest or around a saltwater marsh, Debra creates ceramic portrayals of the animals in her environment in southwestern Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). Her depictions of wildlife offer the viewer an opportunity to experience a whimsical and poignant relationship with these creatures.
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Although it’s painful for her to witness the destruction of wildlife habitats, Kuzyk celebrates the beauty and resilience of native species, and has committed to help preserve their wilderness homes. There is a visceral connection between the fragility of ceramics and the vulnerability of the natural world. Clay comes from the Earth. It is the material of life, the universal matter associated with many creation stories, and is an excellent material for expressing the sacredness and importance of water, which flows through us and is essential to all life. As a ceramicist, Kuzyk belongs to the ancient lineage of artists who work in wet clay to form objects which will long outlive them, sending visual messages into the future.
Kuzyk studied at the University of Saskatchewan, NSCAD University, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and in 2024 served as artist-in-residence in the Zoology Department at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Her work has been exhibited and published across Canada and in the USA and notably she was part of the Canadian Pavilion, Cheongju International Biennale, South Korea in 2009. Her work is held in permanent collections such as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Gardiner Museum, the Art Gallery of Burlington, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, Canada Council Art Bank, Nova Scotia Art Bank, Newfoundland & Labrador Art Bank, to cite a few.
