Kathryn Cronin

Kathryn Cronin was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick and later moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she was raised. She attended NSCAD before returning to Fredericton to study Jewellery, where she graduated with honours from the Jewellery/Metal Arts Diploma program. Cronin has since graduated from NBCCD's Advanced Studio Practice Program, where she was awarded the Sheila Hugh Mackay Merit Bursary upon her acceptance into the program. She resided in Halifax where she maintains her studio practice.

Artist Statement

Life is constant in that it is always changing and challenging me and I take this mindset into all of my work. It is the reason I use so many different materials, and use my medium for self reflections. You are not the same person you were five years ago, but that doesn’t mean that you should forget that person. In fact you should attempt to understand that person in order to help you understand your current self and help to shape the person you want to be in the future.

The "Fortified" series is made of small, weak segments of wire that I fused together over and over until I had a sizable piece that is architectural and grand, and infinitely stronger both physically and aesthetically. This series is about how we shouldn’t be ashamed about our shortcomings, or the things that have broken us in the past. It may not be an easy task, but the old adage is true, you can always pick up the pieces. You can put your self together again, and be stronger for it. Life is not easy, or kind, it can be at times quite merciless, but that doesn’t mean that we have no power or agency over our own lives. So I am making soaring towers of armour out of the things that tried to tear me down, out of the parts of life that try and tear us all down.

- Kathryn Cronin