Michelle Foran
BIO
Michelle Foran (b. 1992) is an artist and furniture maker from Toronto, Canada. She received a BFA in sculpture and installation from OCAD University in 2018 and is a graduate from the Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design in furniture design at Sheridan College.
Her multidisciplinary practice explores how visual order interacts with the bizarre as a means to revive the vibrancy inherent in objects and environments. She’s excited by the traditional craft practices of her family’s diverse cultures and is inspired to design practical yet sculptural furniture that embraces colour, rusticity, play, and nostalgia.
Although furniture, lighting design, and woodworking are at the fore of her practice, Michelle also works in clay, paint, found objects, photography, and anything else she can get her hands on.
CAPSTONE PROJECT
THE WEIGHT OF THE BIRD MAKES THE NEST
Michelle's capstone work is a love letter to her family in the memory of her father who passed away a year ago. Using wood, ceramics, and textiles, Michelle designed and built a living room as an homage to her childhood home that she also parted with in May, 2023. The Weight of the Bird Makes the Nest, the title of her capstone project, is reminiscent of childhood memories in the place she called home, and explores the ways that familiarity, warmth, colour, and comfort can be enmeshed into her work.
FEATURED Work
Title: The Weight of the Bird Makes the Nest
Dimensions: Installation View
Year: 2024
Materials: Birch, maple, ash, pine, Douglas fir, vintage wool blankets, ceramics, epoxy, paint, metal, hardware, electrical
Title: Bead Table Lamp, Bead Floor Lamp
Dimensions: 16 x 16 x 30 in., 19 x 19 x 60 in.
Year: 2024
Materials: Ceramics, ash, Douglas fir, pine, metal, hardware, electrical
Title: Little House Rug
Dimensions: 6 x 4 ft.
Year: 2024
Materials: Wool, Monks Cloth, rubber seal
Title: Shelf
Dimensions: 32 x 12 x 22 in.
Year: 2024
Materials: Birch, hardware
Title: Space Coffee Table
Dimensions: 50 x 22 x 14.5 in.
Year: 2024
Materials: Maple, paint, epoxy