Originally from northern B.C. Janis Woode first became interested in art at an early age drawing and experimenting with clay at local community centres. She attended The Emily Carr College of Art and Design and is a graduate of the Clay and Textiles program at Capilano College.

Woode is inspired by the human experience. Interactions with people, animals and places give shape to sometimes subtle sometimes dramatic life events. Woode sometimes incorporates everyday vintage objects into her work creating a sense of another space in time suggesting a connection between the past and present. The wire figures are where she finds the expression of the piece. “Gesture is established early on in the shaping of the figures. Once that is present the figure is filled in bit by bit until its weight and balance feel right.” Her work with metal, which originated at Emily Carr, triggered a desire to learn to weld which opened the door to articulate her artistic vision . She has worked in metal ever since.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My inspiration has always come from personal experience. If it’s going on in my life, it shows up in my work. I believe we are all connected in a way, not really all that unique but more similar than different. My aim is that my sculpture draws a common thread for the viewer, a thread that ties us together no matter how individual our experiences may be.”