Hi! - I’m Shannon, a multidisciplinary artist, owner, and creator of Inside Out. I'm stationed in the heart of Fenwick, where creating woven abstracts is my full-time gig. All of my creative endeavours focus on weaves, sound, print, textiles, and patterns. I express my sentiments through the craftsmanship of weaving metals to create ornate jewellery and accessories, which I sell on my online store.

Photographer: Amryn Shae

What inspired you to start making chainmaille pieces?

Well, I’ve always felt the internal need to create and learn from new mediums. Working a job that I wasn’t happy doing really pushed me to focus on making art. It was a big ‘who am I without the 9-5’ moment. I’ve loved to create using different mediums since I was a child and found solace in the simplistic yet complex aspects of creating jewellery with chainmaille.

How has Inside Out evolved over the years? What did you start out making and how have you expanded since then?

Inside Out originally started as a collective project I thought to do with an old roommate back in 2019. I had it in my head to learn how to sew one day, thrifted a sewing machine the next, and was taught quickly after!

My desire to create pieces for others to wear became prominent and I quickly took over Inside Out as my own small business. When the pandemic happened fabric was less accessible, which resulted in me taking a small break from Inside Out but eventually this turned into the expansion of crafting chainmaille pieces.

Photographer: Stella Gigliotti

If you could see ANYONE in an Inside Out piece, (celebrity, influencer, a friend of yours, whoever!) who would it be and why?

I’d love to see my grandmother in one of my pieces - She was a strong, independent woman who immigrated to Canada in 1962. She was regularly spotted wearing one of her many trucker hats while working in her beloved garden located in Alberta. She would’ve looked badass wearing any one of my pieces (but specifically the Hera necklace in stainless steel or brass).

What is a non-negotiable part of your creative process?
Definitely my quality assurance process - From ethically sourcing metals to following a strict quality check. I take immense care in making sure each piece is properly woven, polished, and sanitized before it’s packaged and sent off. I strive to have my handcrafted pieces speak for themselves in terms of the quality and care that I put into them.

How do you come up with new design ideas? Is it trial and error, or do you plan it out beforehand? Where do you look to for inspiration?

Most of my designs start as quickly sketched ideas that will come to me at a sudden. Sometimes, I’ll set aside days specifically to make new pieces. Normally this is just me starting with a weave at random until it comes to fruition. I find inspiration mostly through film, books, and painters. Specific artists like Lee Krasner, “H.D” and Hilma af Klint have struck inspiration in me through their works. Punk has also played a large role in my life creatively and stylistically since the age of 12. I haven’t stopped being intrinsically inspired by it since then.

Photographer: Amryn Shae

Talent: Inside Out
Interviewer: Amryn Shae
Editor: Hondrea Hunt-Charbonneau