Saunders explores themes of the diaspora, ancestorship and Black womanhood. Her colourful textiles highlight motifs and iconography from her Jamaican heritage and engage with socio-cultural factors reclaiming power from oppressive ideologies.
Simone has a career in the theatre arts, a previous B.F.A. from the University of Alberta’s Acting Conservatory. Weaving her theatre experiences and integrating dramatism and story-telling within her creations – Simone uplifts narratives of Black joy and resilience.
Simone was the recipient from Calgary Black Chambers 2023 Achievement Award for Arts, Media and Entertainment. Simone was named one of 20 “top Compelling Calgarians for 2022” and “Top 40 Under 40” of Calgarian Professionals, by Avenue Magazine. Simone was awarded the National Winner for the Bank of Montreal’s 1st Art Competition in 2020. Simone has been internationally featured, select media credits include: Forbes, Black Art Magazine (USA), Studio Magazine (USA), Create Magazine (USA), Canada’s House&Home Magazine, CBC Arts, CBCq, Studio Magazine, Boooooom, Uppercase Magazine, Love Embroidery (UK), Pom-Pom Magazine (England), Textiel Plus (Netherlands), FairLady (South Africa), Surface Design Journal, Colossal and DesignMilk (USA).
Recent exhibitions include Claire Oliver Gallery in New York, the Textile Museum of Canada, Contemporary Calgary, Minneapolis Art Institute (Minnesota), the Mint Museum (North Carolina) and ArtsWestchester (NY). Saunders has been collected by international museums and prominent collectors.
“Art history is a big proponent of my inspiration, particularly Art Nouveau. The romance and sensuality that exudes from this era, highlighting feminity and womanhood. I draw a lot of inspiration from this artform.’
Simone Elizabeth Saunders
