Elysha Rea

Responding to the environmental crisis driven by the greedy exploitation of the land's resources, Elysha seeks to present a modern-day approach to living in harmony with the land. Through her work she disrupts the perpetual cycles of purchase, use, toss, repeat; returning to a circle more in line with her Indigenous roots: only take what you need, use what you have, and waste nothing. 

In embarking on this journey away from the consumerist lifestyle, she pairs her skill of scavenging for materials in thrift stores with her knowledge of foraging for plants. Through this pairing she transforms that which is no longer being used into something new and completely unique. As a result of her process, she creates one-of-a-kind works of functional art from upwards of 90% post-consumer textiles. Additionally, all her pieces are constructed out of natural fibres, which she dyes using local plants and scavenged metals. The synergy of the plants upon cloth yields garments that feel as though they are born from the natural world. Elysha believes that through surrounding ourselves with things that behold this felt sense of “earth magic,” we are more acutely aware of how we are also of the earth. Her hope is that this enhanced sense of connection to the earth will not only bring us comfort, but also guide us - and those around us, to make better choices for our planet. 

Instagram Account: @earthendreamer