Joanne Soroka

Born 1949 Montreal, Canada, now living in Edinburgh

1972-74 Tapestry Evening Classes
1974-75 Special Student, Tapestry Department
1975-76 Postgraduate Diploma in Tapestry

The people who taught me were Archie Brennan, Maureen Hodge and Fiona Mathison.  Fellow students included William Jefferies, Linda Green and Birgitta Macdonald.  All had an influence, but the biggest came from Archie and Maureen.  They were good at seeing what was interesting in your work and helping you to advance, without imposing their ideas.  However, one day Archie decided to be harsh with everyone and thoroughly criticised all the work, with me ending up in tears. 

Drawing was always important, and it helped so much to have that skill, but also forcing you to see the object you were drawing.  The great thing about the department was that you never felt restricted, that any type of experimentation was possible, that any medium was possible. 

Selected Awards
2000 Theo Moorman Trust for Weavers
2001 Scottish Arts Council Major Award for Individual Development

Selected Collections
Scottish Arts Council
Amnesty International
Laurence Rockefeller Jr., New York

1982 - 1987 Artistic Director, Edinburgh Tapestry Company (Dovecot Studios)
1992 - 2012 Teacher in the Humanities Department at Edinburgh College of Art (The Centre for Visual and Cultural Studies)

Influences

Maureen Hodge, Archie Brennan, Howard Hodgkin, Mark Rothko

www.joannesoroka.co.uk