Sarah F. Maloney (1987) hails from Port-Cartier on the North Shore. She completed her B.A. in Fine Arts and Psychology at Concordia University in 2010 and her M.A. at the Glasgow School of Arts in 2014. She has exhibited in Canada, Cyprus, Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
Maloney's work explores the effects of geography on remote and northern communities, politics and international relations. She pursues her multidisciplinary practice by drawing on the “founding discourse” of the Côte-Nord region, the history of North Shore workers and the people working in the many industries in search of raw materials in Northern Quebec.
Working with materials that are typical of the Côte-Nord, or with by-products from various local businesses, her practice reflects how industry has shaped its landscape and impacted its inhabitants. Her creations are the result of whole-hearted exchanges with workers and people from the area, all of whom inspire her and endow her projects with an at times nostalgic feel. Humans are here typified in two ways: the hunter, who is at one with nature, camouflaging him or herself in its deepest recesses, and the worker, who proudly displays the vibrant colours of his or her safety garments, all bearing reflective markings. As for nature, it is often presented through allusions and descriptions of the shapes and colours of the boreal fauna. The artist also uses some materials from industrial operations, such as OSB and iron ore.
Focusing on difficult subjects, Maloney's minimalist visual aesthetic creates a kind of plateau, a freeze-frame in which the prosperity of industry is reflected from a singular angle.