Saskatoon artist lauded at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibition

A Saskatoon art jeweler and goldsmith is getting some major exposure with one of her pieces on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Mary Lynn Podiluk is busy working on her most recent commissions from her home studio, but it’s a teapot that she made over a decade ago that’s getting major acclaim.

Her piece, Metalanguage, is on display as part of the exhibit: Parall(elles) a History of Women in Design.

“I made it with the intention to bring aspects and concepts of language and linguistics into this body of work that I was building,” said Podiluk. “And it became the flagship piece, being one of the biggest pieces of the collection but also the one I put most of my efforts into.”

Podiluk originally went to school for linguistics, but she felt a creative urge to pursue a career in the arts. She enrolled at NSCAD University in Halifax, and instantly found her passion.

“I found out you get to use torches and hammers, and I was like, what?” Podiluk told CTV News. “I get to use fire, this is amazing, I’m hooked. All the other things, printmaking, painting kind of fell into the background.”

While she loved her new direction, her passion for language lingered. So she decided to blend her previous education with her newly developed skills in creating functional, conceptual art.

“I realized this was a great opportunity to take some of those interesting concepts that I learned in my linguistic studies and apply them in visual ways to the work I wanted to make,” she said.

Her first blend of the two, The Metalanguage Teapot, made its debut and won the 9th Annual National Jewellery Student Competition in Ottawa.

Then it won a 2013 NICHE award in Philadelphia.

After being acquired by the curators of the largest teapot collection in the world, it was discovered by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

“The line between design and fine art becomes increasingly blurred as many women creators incorporate a conceptual approach to the creation of functional objects,” said Jennifer Laurent, Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. “The Metalanguage Teapot by Podiluk is a remarkable example of these 21st century developments in women’s design.”

It now sits on display with a collection of over 250 pieces, highlighting women in art, craft and design spanning more than 150 years.

“I think it’s really great to be part of this exhibition that captures genre-defining pieces that specifically were handmade or designed by women,” said Podiluk. “So it’s a huge honour.”

Podiluk’s work will be on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art until May 28.

Meanwhile, she says she’s always working on projects for galleries around the province, or bespoke jewelry for special occasions.