Gentle Work by Stephanie Weirathmueller

Stephanie Weirathmueller is a multidisciplinary artist based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Born to Filipino and Austrian parents and raised on Crabbe Mountain, she draws inspiration from her cultural heritage, family relationships, and the surrounding natural landscapes. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University, specializing in painting and printmaking.

Her practice blends drawing, painting, textiles, and writing, exploring themes of compassion, presence, and play. Her softly rendered images invite quiet contemplation. Her subjects often include intimate portraits of her youngest daughter, Frankie, alongside family members, self-portraits, interiors, and landscapes. Since her diagnosis with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/(ME/CFS) in 2019, Stephanie has been reimagining how to create art within the limitations of her body. Her work asks: How can one make, experiment, and play while listening deeply and being attentive to the body? 

Stephanie aims for her practice to resonate with others experiencing similar challenges and to raise awareness about living with ME/CFS. She approaches her work with care, openness, and honesty, developing processes that are gentle, adaptable, and attuned to her needs. Her art often becomes a ritual, helping process grief while also documenting day-to-day life, gratitude, and presence. She shares her process through social platforms, exhibitions, talks, and workshops.

Active in her local arts community, Stephanie participates in exhibitions, talks, and workshops. Through her work and public engagement, she fosters caring, reflective spaces that invite audiences to explore their own relationship to the body, creativity, and the rhythms of life, encouraging mindfulness, connection, and presence.

Artist Statement: Gentle Work

In this exhibition, Gentle Work, I share processes that are adaptable and reflective—drawing and writing in ways that honour my body’s limitations. The images and objects here document everyday life and family, alongside moments of joy, grief, and gratitude, inviting quiet reflection and mindfulness.

Through this exhibition, I hope to create a space of care and support, offering audiences a quiet, gentle environment to pause, and engage with the work in their own way.

- Stephanie Weirathmueller