Julianna Biernacki is an emerging artist from Welland, ON but currently living and working in Hamilton, ON. Biernacki graduated from the McMaster University Studio Arts program in 2021 with a minor in English and Literature. Biernacki’s work has a focus in textiles in the form of handmade tufted rugs. Being primary a painter in school, she uses a painterly hand for this freeform textile practice. Along with her art practice, Biernacki has also founded and facilitates Open Window artist talks- a bi-monthly artist talk series run out of Rooney’s café. She is also the head curator of the art at Durand Coffee in which she organizes group art shows every 2 months that include 6-9 artists of varying mediums. Biernacki also has a plethora of experience teaching punch needle and tufting machine workshops for individuals and groups.

Julianna Biernacki’s art practice explores curiosities about intersections through her work of handmade tufted rugs. She is often thinking about the intersection of fine and craft art- taking a craft practice and bringing it into gallery space, intersection of public and private spaces- what is made for private and what is made for public and how these can interchange, and the intersection between function and design- taking a functional object like a rug and placing it on the wall where it now serves a different function. Conceptually her work is influenced by the grit and architecture of a city. She is interested in how cities act as a junction between things like industrial and residential or residential and nature. She is also interested in memory and family nostalgia. Having a practice that is textile based which has its own historic roots in tradition, she is continually exploring how her work can act as a type of ‘quilt’, telling a personal narrative through image, line, colour and design. Biernacki’s work has always had a collage like aspect to it as her process starts with digitally mocking up compositions in a sort of digital collage.