Threads of Memory
Ft. Julie Gladstone and Olivia Mae Sinclair
June 14 - 28

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 14 @ 3 - 5 pm
RSVP your attendance to responses@wallspacegallery.ca

Presales open Saturday, June 7 at 10 am, in-person, online, and over the phone at 613-729-0003. Please contact the gallery if you'd like to view the works in-person.

Wall Space Gallery is proud to present Threads of Memory, a duo-exhibition of artwork by Julie Gladstone and Olivia Mae Sinclair. In this exhibition, the artists engage in intimate dialogues with trauma, memory, and transformation. Both artists delve into deeply personal experiences, navigating the intersection of internal and external landscapes, as they explore the ways in which time, spirituality, and physical forms shape our healing processes.

Threads of Memory | Collection

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Gladstone’s work explores themes of ancestral healing, ecology, and the transformation of everyday materials. Rooted in Jewish traditions and influenced by her Sephardic heritage, her practice delves into the idea of repair—both personal and ecological—as a way of processing inherited trauma.

Her mixed-media pieces, often incorporating found objects and textiles, act as vessels for spiritual reflection and reconciliation. Through the act of stitching and the use of everyday remnants, she turns fragments of daily life into sacred offerings, embodying the idea of “repairing the world.” Gladstone’s patchwork and stitching techniques also reflect the ritual practices of Sephardic women, turning ordinary materials into objects of spiritual and cultural significance. The inclusion of aerial grid views and references to the Anthropocene bring attention to issues of ecological decay and impermanence, while suggesting the potential for healing through creative, mindful action.

"My work is a way of repairing the world. It’s a process of integrating art and healing, a ritual of stitching together fragments of the past—whether they’re family heirlooms, found objects, or everyday detritus. These pieces embody the idea of ‘Tikkun Olam’—repairing the world through creative, mindful action. I think of the process as an alchemical transformation." —Julie Gladstone

"The notion of the dream world acts as a counterpoint to the calendar, which is a recurring motif in my work. The calendar reflects linear time, while the dream world is cyclical, allowing me to explore time as both a healer and a fragmented, continuous process." —Julie Gladstone

In contrast, Sinclair’s work is an exploration of softness in a world that demands hardness. Sinclair’s delicate prints, primarily on linen and repurposed lace, present a meditative confrontation with trauma, apology, and forgiveness.

"For me, making is a necessity. It's compulsive. It’s my way of working out emotions that are too big to keep inside. The rawness of my work reflects that state. It’s a reflection of how I was feeling when I made it—vulnerable, urgent, and unfiltered." —Olivia Mae Sinclair

Her new body of work continues her exploration of opposites: the tension between rigid architectural forms and the vulnerability of lace, the hard and the soft, the controlled and the open. By leaving her pieces unframed, Sinclair emphasizes the rawness and openness of the material—inviting the viewer to witness both the vulnerability and the resilience woven into her practice. Her work is deeply personal, reflecting her own journey of re-processing trauma, yet it is universally resonant in its quiet strength. Her focus on the softness of the materials is a conscious choice, a resistance to the hardness imposed by the outside world, and a redefinition of strength and healing through gentleness.

"In my work, I’ve been exploring how trauma, forgiveness, and apology intertwine. The work is about coming to terms with my past, but also about creating space for others to interject themselves into it. I want people to see themselves in it, to confront their own vulnerability."

—Olivia Mae Sinclair

The juxtaposition of these two artists reveals profound conversations about transformation, vulnerability, and the body’s relationship to time. While both artists create works that invite contemplation on the nature of healing—whether through meditation, ritual, or material alchemy—each explores these themes in radically different ways. Gladstone’s approach is ritualistic and expansive, with her works referencing historical narratives and the cycle of life and death, while Sinclair’s work is quieter, more intimate, and focused on personal resilience and the ongoing process of recovery.

Together, Gladstone and Sinclair create a space where healing is both a collective and personal journey, where materials are imbued with meaning, and where time itself becomes a medium for repair. Threads of Memory offers the viewer an invitation to reflect on their own relationship with trauma, healing, and the passage of time—how we mend, how we soften, and how we find meaning in the fragments left behind. This exhibition is a testament to the transformative power of art to repair, renew, and regenerate—both for the artist and the viewer alike.

Haruka Toyoda, Curator

About the artists

Julie Gladstone is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto exploring memory, embodiment, healing, and time. Gladstone's practice maps emotional and ancestral landscapes through abstract painting and textiles, drawing from my background in acupuncture and somatic healing. Stitching and the use of repurposed materials integrate her roles as artist, mother, and healer, grounding her work in the physical and symbolic acts of mending and transformation.

Olivia Mae Sinclair is a textile-book artist. Her intuitive and trauma-based practice is guided by sloppy craft and imperfection. She is addicted to infatuation and Red Bull. She is a maker of books, love and other grotesque things.
Olivia is a current Artist in Residence at Harbourfront Centre. She graduated from OCAD University’s Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media and Design program and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Craft and Design at Sheridan College.
Typically, books made from fabric are intended for children and infants. Olivia Mae Sinclair’s books, however are made for lovers, survivors, artists, her, him and me.