Artist Statement

In an increasingly chaotic world, I seek solace in its rearrangement. Drawing from an eclectic collection of images, meticulously cut and curated, I approach my creative process as if crafting an alternate reality—a delicate balance between the tangible and the dream-like. Much like orchestrating a set, I use these images as props to present questions surrounding capitalist excess, desire, the subconscious, and memory. By setting the stage, I encourage viewers to engage with child-like curiosity through touch and sight. Channeling inspiration from Walter Wick and his I Spy series, I find joy in the arrangement of commonplace items into a realm that extends beyond the confines of a page. The act of 'looking,' central to these books, serves as my guiding principle. In the spirit of an I Spy riddle, each composition prompts a search for something to be found.

Biography

Fraya McDougall is a paper-based artist living in K’jipuktuk (Halifax, NS). She graduated from NSCAD University in 2023 with a bachelor in Fine Arts. She has had both solo and group exhibitions, and is represented by Cuts and Paste Gallery. She is the co-organizer and co-founder of the Halifax Collage Collective, involved in hosting public collage-making events across her city since 2022.