Quick Facts
Biography
Aganetha Dyck is a Canadian sculpture artist residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dyck is best known for her work with live honeybees, that build honeycomb on objects that she introduces to honeybee hives. In 2007 Dyck was awarded both Manitoba’s Arts Award of Distinction and Canada's Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Personal life
Dyck was born Aganetha Rempel, in 1937, to mennonite parents in Marquette, Manitoba, a French-Canadian farming town 50 kM north of Winnipeg. She married Peter Dyck, a mennonite merchant from Winnipeg, in 1958. The family moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, in 1972 where Aganetha Dyck enrolled in art courses. In Prince Albert Dyck began to crochet, and was trained in Salish weaving by a local weaver. The family returned to Winnipeg in 1976. Between 1980 and 1982 Dyck studied Art History at the University of Winnipeg.
Together Aganetha and Peter Dyck have three children; Richard, Deborah and Michael.
Career
Dycks early work is described as transforming domestic processes into fine art, thereby validating activities that are traditionally considered feminine. In her early work Dyck used household materials such as buttons, wool fabrics, and cigarettes. A Winnipeg Art Gallery exhibition of Dycks work featured several hundred jars of buttons prepared and cooked using different culinary techniques.
Dyck was trained to crochet in the Salish style by a weaver in Prince Albert, Manitoba. After accidentally felting some of her woven work, she began to design felt sculptures, such as Close Knit ((1975‑1981)), Skirt Issue (1981) and Forest (1975‑1981), as well as sculptures that combined felt art with found objects, such as 23 Suitcases (1981).
Dyck is best known for her work with honeybees, which began in 1991, and is described by her as a collaboration. Dyck places objects into beehives, or beehives into objects, and allows insects to build honeycomb on the objects, sometimes over the course of years. This work is considered to be exemplified by Glass Dress: Lady in Waiting (1992‑1998), currently held at the National Gallery of Canada. The work took 10 beekeeping seasons to create. Her work with honeybees has drawn attention from the press, and Dyck has been featured in the CBC television show The Nature of Things, with David Suzuki. Dyck has collaborated with beekeepers and entomologists in making her sculptures. In addition to appreciating the beauty of the honeycomb, Dyck hopes that "people will realize the importance of the honeybees’ work."
Dyck sits on the board of directors of Plug In Gallery, and has served as a mentor in Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art.
Selected works
- Close Knit ((1975‑1981)), Canadian Council Art Bank.
- Closest to Her (2007), National Gallery of Canada.
- Queen (2007), National Gallery of Canada.
- Glass Dress: Lady in Waiting (1992‑1998), National Gallery of Canada.
Awards
- Awarded Manitoba's Arts Award of Distinction in 2007.
- Awarded Canada's Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media in 2007.
- Awarded the Making a Mark award in 2014 by the Winnipeg Arts Council.
- Spotlight on 40 years: Artwork from Canada Council Art Bank, 2012.
- Art City Star Award, Winnipeg, 2013.
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