In Conversation with Rose Bouthillier, Shirley Moorhouse and Zadie Xa

Rose Bouthillier, Shirley Moorhouse, and Zadie Xa come together in conversation to reflect on process, collaboration and more.

Rose Bouthillier, Shirley Moorhouse, and Zadie Xa come together in conversation to reflect on process, collaboration, and the role of relationship in contemporary practice. Bouthillier, who has curated exhibitions with both Moorhouse and Xa, engages with the artists as they discuss making, research, and points of connection between their exhibitions. Moorhouse’s textile-based, mixed-media practice is grounded in land, memory, and cultural continuity, while Xa’s immersive, multidisciplinary work explores spirituality, mythology, and diasporic identity.

Rose Bouthillier is an independent curator based in Maberly, NL. Throughout her career, her focus has been on working closely with artists to develop and present new projects, promoting under-recognized voices and creating thoughtful inter-generational dialogues.

Shirley Moorhouse (b. Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Nunatsiavut; 1955 -) is a highly respected member of the national arts community. Her work has been featured in exhibitions such as the 2023 Bonavista Biennale (Bonavista Peninsula, NL), INUA: Inuit Nunangat Ungammmuaktut Atautikkut (Inuit Moving Forward Together), (Qaumajuq/Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2020); and SakKijâjuk: Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut (2017), a nationally traveling exhibition that originated at The Rooms.

Zadie Xa has developed an expansive practice that addresses the nature of diasporic identities, global histories, familial legacies, and interspecies communication. For her, art offers a means to analyse socio-political conditions and cultural behaviours through a lens of masquerade, play, costuming, and storytelling.