Lisa Wood is a visual artist, mother and partner from Scottish-Icelandic ancestry living in Treaty 2 Territory, Canada (Brandon, Manitoba). Her figurative art practice—shaped by her upbringing with her single mother and her life-long chronic health conditions—broadly investigates inclusion, marginalization and interpersonal connections (lisawood.ca). She exhibits her painting and prints nationally and internationally, and currently holds the position of Associate Professor at IshKaabatens Waasa Gaa Inaabateg Department of Visual Art at Brandon University.

While at the Fish Factory Lisa was investigating her lost Icelandic heritage and the Icelandic-Manitoba diaspora to visually explore themes of intergenerational rupture and connection, healing, and reconciliation. Lisa’s ancestors were a part of a major wave of immigration from Iceland to North America from 1870 to 1914. Although she does not have connection to her Canadian paternal Icelandic family, through online research she located several distant Icelandic relatives who live in the Eastern Fjords. Their family tree branches from one single relative who stayed behind in Iceland while the entire intergenerational family immigrated to Canada.

Amazingly, during the residency Lisa was able to meet and spent time with this extended family. They gave her a warm and generous welcome, sharing food, family photos and genealogical research, taking her to on trips to various important family sites and gifting her thoughtful mementos. From these experiences she developed an interactive artwork – an over-sized book on translucent drafting film – that features shifting memories and overlayed histories, incorporating and reflecting on Icelandic mythology, genealogical research and family relationships.

Website: https://lisawood.ca