MIRIAM FABIJAN
Miriam Fabijan’s work leads to renewal. Her art invites viewers to contemplate the delicate balance between loss and hope, trauma and beauty, making her a vital voice in the contemporary compelling dialogue.
Born in Calgary, Canada, Miriam Fabijan’s life and work are deeply rooted in her complex heritage and personal history. Both of her parents were Slovenian immigrants and creative souls; her father an engineer, carpenter and oral historian, her mother a dedicated seamstress and lace-maker. Her parents' passions became a vital part of Miriam’s artistic language. From an early age, Miriam was immersed in a world where craft and storytelling intertwined, shaping her understanding of beauty as a form of resilience.
Digital print and acrylic paint on bamboo paper - 58 x 58 cm CA$ 2000 excl. of VAT
Digital print and acrylic paint on bamboo paper - 58 x 58 cm CA$ 2000 excl. of VAT
Digital print and acrylic paint on bamboo paper - 58 x 58 cm CA$ 2000 excl. of VAT
Digital print and acrylic paint on bamboo paper - 58 x 58 cm CA$ 2000 excl. of VAT
Her childhood was marked by stories of hardship—her parents’ experiences in WWII Displaced Persons Camps, where her mother’s lace-making provided sustenance and hope and her father applied his skills to improve the wellbeing of fellow refugees. These stories left an indelible mark on Miriam, inspiring her concept of ‘Displaced’—a reflection of inherited trauma and the quest for belonging. Her early fascination with art was a sanctuary; by age 13, she had established her own studio, and through her university studies and various residencies she continued to nurture her artistic pursuits.
Miriam’s connection to her Slovenian roots became more conscious through visits to Slovenia, beginning at age six. Her participation in her first exhibition, Translation ('My hat has three holes') held in Slovenia, was a pivotal moment—an act of cultural affirmation and a step toward embracing her identity. Her work often echoes this journey, blending personal history with universal themes of displacement and healing.
Motherhood I, 2024. Colour Photographs - 30.5cm x 30.5 cm
Price on request
One of her most poignant projects, 'I Will Remember For You', exemplifies her approach to transforming trauma into beauty. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s lace patterns, Miriam reworks these intricate designs, infusing them with new meaning. Her intuitive re-coding neutralizes the ghosts of past pain, turning memories into symbols of resilience and hope. This act of artistic alchemy underscores her belief that “art is a process of self-healing,” a sentiment she passionately advocates.
My mother made herself a red cherry, 2023. Colour Photographs and Acrylic Paint on Hahnemühle Bamboo Fine Art Paper -90 x 60 cm
Price on request
Her recent works, such as Mothers and Daughters, explore the transmission of skills and stories through generations, emphasizing continuity and joy. The weaving of her hair into bowls or the superimposition of dresses in her Dress Portraits serve as physical metaphors for connection, love, and the enduring bonds between women.
Miriam Fabijan’s art is not merely about aesthetic beauty; it is a narrative of empowerment, acceptance, and the pursuit of a “Safe Place” where trauma is acknowledged but no longer defines us. Her journey reflects a profound understanding that healing is an ongoing process—one that she embodies through her meticulous craftsmanship and heartfelt storytelling.
- Donald Dorron Britz, Student Board of Governor at Arts University Plymouth
Biography
CV
Miriam Fabijan (b. 1960, Calgary, Canada) is a contemporary multidisciplinary artist based in Calgary, Canada. She works across painting, drawing, photography, fibre art, and installation, employing mixed media, digital prints on bamboo paper, as well as photography. Her installations incorporate slide projections, video, painting, and sound, while her fibre art encompasses embroidery and molded weavings utilizing beeswaxed hemp, thread, ribbon, cord, and hair. Fabijan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary (1984) and a Master of Fine Arts from NSCAD University (1989). She is best known for her photo-based 2D artworks and multimedia installations, selecting materials that best support her chosen narrative, often experimenting with traditional and unconventional approaches.
Fabijan’s work explores themes of identity, cultural connections, and belonging, drawing inspiration from her Slovenian heritage and personal and familial history. She examines the effects of trauma and intergenerational trauma on memory, investigating how images, objects, and creative practices become vessels for storytelling, remembrance, and healing. Her projects reflect a deep engagement with memory and identity, offering layered visual narratives that question the construction of personal and collective histories. Among her significant past works are Second Sight, The Shade of a Shadow, Translations: My Hat Has Three Holes, and Stari Stara. Her recent and ongoing series include Nesting, Displaced, I Will Remember for You, and Mothers and Daughters.
Miriam Fabijan has exhibited widely, with solo exhibitions such as The Shade of a Shadow at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Canada, and Translations: My Hat Has Three Holes, Galerija Equrna, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Oboro, Montreal, Canada and Toronto Photographers Workshop, Toronto, Canada. She has participated in group exhibitions including Elemental Instincts at the Nickle Art Museum, Calgary, Canada; Young Contemporaries a touring exhibition out of the London Regional Art Gallery, London, Canada; and The Artist’s Lens: Identity at the Exposure Photography Festival, ASA Gallery, Calgary, Canada. Her work is held in the Canada Council Art Bank and the Walter Phillips Gallery for Contemporary Art, as well as various private collections nationally and internationally. She has participated in residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts and has contributed to academic discourse through panels and publications. Notably, she was awarded third prize in the Patterns of Memories International Art Competition at Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India (2024).
Education
1992 Slovenian Language Studies Certificate, Ljubljana University, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1989 Master of Fine Arts Degree, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University), Halifax, Canada
1984 Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 The Weight of What Remains, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India
2026 The Healing Power of Color, Manhattan International NY, NYC, USA
https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/the-healing-power-of-color-2026-exhibition/
2025 In Black and White, Site: Brooklyn Gallery (online exhibition, Wall 7), Juried by Alina Cohen, Curator, Brooklyn, NY, USA https://www.sitebrooklyn.com/in-black-and-white
2025 The Warrior Empath, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, France
2025 La Rupture du Désir, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, France
2025 The Artist’s Lens 2025: Identity (Exposure Photography Festival 2025), Alberta Society of Artists Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2024 Blooming Earth, Gallery 3, Christina Lake, BC, Canada
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 Nesting. Calgary Central Library, Calgary, Canada
2019 Not everything can be named, The GRAND entrance gallery, Calgary, Canada
2018 By length and by depth, Arts Commons +15 Gallery, Calgary, Canada
1994 Translations, My Hat Has Three Holes, Toronto Photographers Workshop, Toronto, Canada
1993 Translations, My Hat Has Three Holes, Galerie Oboro, Montreal, Canada
1992 Translations, Galerija Equrna, Ljubljana, Slovenija
Translations, Beneska Galerija, Speter (San Pietro Al Natisone), Italy
1991 The Shade of a Shadow, YYZ Artists’ Outlet, Toronto, Canada
The Shade of a Shadow, Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Canada
1989 The Shade of a Shadow, Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, Canada
1986 Images in Context, Off Centre Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Living in Another’s Room, Latitude 53 Gallery, Edmonton, Canada
1985 Once…., Or Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
1984 Miriam Fabijan, The Exit Gallery, Walter Phillips Gallery of Contemporary Art, Banff, Canada
Selected Collections
Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, Calgary, Canada
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Canada
Nova Corporation Collection, Calgary, Canada
NSCAD Visual Resource Collection, Halifax, Canada
Walter Phillips Gallery for Contemporary Art, Banff, Canada
Various private collections, Canada, USA, & Europe
Awards
2024 Patterns of Memories International Art Competition (3rd Prize), Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India.
Residencies
2024 Santa Rosa Arts and Research Residency, Blooming Earth, Christina Lake, BC, Canada
Grants
2023 Alberta Foundation for the Arts, 50th Anniversary Micro Grant
2022 Calgary Arts Development (CADA) Micro Grant, Calgary, Canada
Selected Press
Dorron Britz, “Miriam Fabijan: An Artistic Journey of Trauma, Heritage and Healing in La Rupture Du Désir”, Art on World Magazine, December 2025, N24, pg.82-83, Italy (2025) artonworld.com: https://www.flipsnack.com/artonworld/artonworld-n24
Artsy, “Miriam Fabijan”, featured representation, Vedica Arts Studios and Gallery
https://www.artsy.net/artist/miriam-fabijan
Professional Contributions
2025 Artist/Guest Speaker, “Unravelling Narratives: Immigration, Memory and Creativity”, Action Dignity
2025 Living Knowledge with Newcomers Symposium, with artist Santosh Korthiwada, introduction by Gayathri Shukla, Campfire Kinship, Calgary, Canada.
2025 Artist/Presenter, LOUD Art Society 10th Anniversary Celebration, Calgary Central Library, Calgary, Canada
2024 Mentor in Residence, ICAI (Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation), Calgary, Canada
