“I am really interested in the symbols of alchemy”
Lana Filippone grew up on the shores of historic and bi-lingual Georgian Bay, Canada. A passion for story-telling and a firm relationship with its Natural History have found their way into the whimsical narratives that she creates. Lana has a BAH from Queen’s University and a diploma in Craft and Design from Sheridan College, specializing in Ceramics. Outside of her major in French Literature, Lana is a passionate learner and has studied a broad range of subjects from Geology and the History of Life, Archaeology, Environmental philosophy and Native and Eastern Religions. She is fortunate to spend her time in the studio pursuing lifelong learning opportunities and is a proponent of academic audio courseware and podcasts. She likes to think about the thousands of hours of audio embedded in her work peppered with music. www.lanafilippone.com
What’s your favorite thing to do when you are alone?
Listen to podcasts or audiobooks while I make work. I really like to ride my bike late at night.
Do you collect things?
I would say I collect ghost stories and tall tales. Within my work, I collect symbols that I use to create a vocabulary. I collect art objects, ceramics, plants, crystals, hula hoops, antique frames and suitcases.
What’s your craziest dream?
It’s not a night-time dream, but in terms of lifetime dreams: I was invited to exhibit my work in a 300 year old contemporary show at the Louvre, in Paris in the Canadian delegation. It’s a crazy dream come true, that I didn’t even know I had. I grew up in a francophone community and have a degree in French literature which contributed immensely to my artist ethos and I lived in France, so it’s really exciting to reflect my time and place in the world within that conversation.
What project/art are you hoping to create but haven’t got chance to do yet?
I’d really like to paddle the Yukon river and every lake in Killarney P.P.
Is there a childhood experience that has helped shape the kind of work you do today?
I grew up in a pretty magical small town on Georgian Bay that had a lot of history and a unique mythology. I’ve been influenced by its spooky beauty and a tight relationship with its natural heritage. I spent a lot of time alone in nature as a kid and a lot of time connecting intimately with its history as a teenager. There are probably many traces within the narratives of my work and my perspective in the world.
