By Jo Yetter

“Womb Chair: From the Moment of Separation examines comfort and the degradation of the mother-child relationship due to the passage of time. The sculpture is created with baby blankets, an object that children use to learn the complex emotion of love. The love the child has for the blankets is reflected back and the emotion is understood. The torn and broken down blankets visually represent the degradation of the mother and child relationship, as well as the healing and comfort provided and received. The baby blankets become a referent of the passage of time, in addition to a vessel to preserve the sentiment of care. One of the two books included in the installation is a narrative about leaving the home. The text reinterprets the instructions for how to transplant an aloe plant given by their mother. A growing root system is depicted to communicate a journey of growth, while the text communicates loss and ultimately a desire to feel stable in an unstable environment. The aloe plant represents the reciprocal healing of the mother and child relationship: as you care for it, it cares for you. The aloe is hopeful and resilient. The aloe in the installation is one that has been transplanted from the mother plant that was given to the artist by their mother when they left home. The aloe plant is used to ground the installation and represent the future.”

Jo Yetter graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Majoring in Printmaking, from OCAD University in Toronto. Yetter was an OCAD 2016 Medal Winner.