JENNIFER LONG

MENDED LEAVES

Toronto, ON

Through a feminist lens, Jennifer Long works with constructed narratives inspired by the quiet moments in women’s lives where seemingly nothing (and everything) occurs.

In Mended Leaves, she considers what it means to give care and how this exchange affects both the caregiver and the person being cared for.

Jennifer says, “This work was initiated during my experience, and subsequent reflections on, being a primary caregiver during the pandemic. Using on-hand art supplies, I began exploring ways to transform found foliage, repairing tears, matching and re-imagining colours, and doing other tactile experiments. Instinctual and meditative explorations gave me time to reflect on the experience of mothering during a period filled with unease, when time bent, stood still, and stretched in unfamiliar ways. This has led me to consider how the balance of self-care and giving of oneself is fundamentally tied to communication.” jenniferlong.ca