Dagmar Kovar was born in Bohemia. In Prague, she studied chemistry as her first profession. She changed her focus to art only after she relocated to Canada in mid-1990s. Her knowledge in art, she states, comes from “endless experiments, mistakes, and observations; from reading poetry and artist’s biographies; study of works of art of old and new artists, from study of crafts, and nature and life observations.”

Kovar works mostly with natural fibres – wool, silk, repurposed cotton, and linen, together with various salvaged and found materials. Her practice evolves around ancient techniques of felting, stitch, knotting, dyeing, and shibori. With these techniques she creates two and three-dimensional works of varied sizes – from palm-sized to full-room installations. Along with this practice, Kovar devotes her time to drawing, with a focus on intuition as a source of a creative force. She has been teaching this method to numerous students of various backgrounds for over ten years.

Dagmar Kovar’s work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, Europe, and China, and her work is represented locally and internationally in private and public collections. She has taught a wide selection of fibre techniques and drawing to various private groups and organizations, including Fleming College School of Art and Design, Southampton Art Centre (Ontario), and specialized guilds. She lives and works in London, Ontario.

Biography Courtesy of Dagmar Kovar