William Perehudoff

1918–2013, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

In 1975, Toronto collector and philanthropist Fay Loeb initiated a project that would see twenty-three leading artists from across Canada produce designs for a series of limited edition tapestries.

The tapestries were conceived as a way to warm the often-uninviting common areas of public and commercial buildings. William Perehudoff from Saskatoon was one of five prairie artists selected. His tapestry, which is based on a small collage, took advantage of the vibrant hues of acrylic yarn that were used in the tapestry workshop in Mexico. Artisans accentuated the colour edges in his design by hand-carving a deep “V” in the punch-hooked pile, thereby replicating the cut elements of the original collage.