‘Mapping Out Calm’ is a large-scale paper tapestry by Steph Cloutier that explores the impermanence of life through water. The hand-stitched paper tiles reveal a map of Lake Ontario’s evolution and resilience, and it offers a moment of reflection about our shared experience of transition and renewal.
The tapestry is inspired by daily walks to the water’s edge, which are a source of comfort and a reminder of the constant change of the lake and the shoreline. The rippling lines in the tapestry resemble the waves of the water, but it also traces the historical expansion and erosion of the lake’s body. Based on archival drawings, the pattern reveals evidence of the rescinding lake body over the course of 150+ years, thanks to the expansion of our shoreline. As climate change is drastically threatening and changing our environment, will the lake body take back what it has lost?
Water is not only a visual element but also a material component of the papermaking process. Unfiltered lake water was used to make each paper sheet, incorporating organic matter and sediment that will affect the paper’s colour, texture and longevity over time. Water follows the same life cycle as other organisms, and the artwork will follow the same path of impermanence. ‘Mapping Out Calm’ reflects a bird’s eye view of the city’s harbour, as well as the energy and calmness of the water and its part in our life’s impermanence.
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‘Mapping Out Calm’ is one of several projects at STACKT Market for the 2025 DesignTO Festival. Celebrate these projects with a free, site-wide party on Sat, Jan 25 from 6-10pm. Visit ‘Design Collection @ STACKT Launch Party’ to learn more.
Participants
Steph CloutierAcknowledgements
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