Adrienna Matzeg works at the intersection of photography, textiles and product design to create her punch needle embroidery compositions. She is drawn to the narrative quality that both photography and textiles possess, nostalgia being a prominent theme in her practice. Through reducing the subject matter in her work to simplified colours, shapes and fragments, she explores how we recall memories, with a specific interest in travel destinations and souvenirs.

Adrienna’s personal work has been shown in the MOCA Toronto, Cry Baby Gallery, The Art With Heart Auction, the Art Gems Auction and the DesignTO Festival, among others. It has been featured in CBC Arts, Designlines, and The Globe and Mail, and has been procured by Earls Restaurants and private collectors.

In her newest series, Bebidas e Lanches, Adrienna captures the essence of hot Portuguese afternoons, reflecting on the connection and joy that come from sharing drinks and snacks with others. Adrienna transforms her photographs and souvenirs by recreating them in intricate embroidery. Through her use of vivid-colored threads and different punch-needle techniques, the scenes evoke a dreamlike nostalgia that preserve her snapshots in textile form.

“There is such a rich culture surrounding food in Portugal that I discovered while travelling. This became a jumping off point for the work. Colour really defines my memories and plays a pivotal role in narrating the stories within each piece, while the textile medium gives a tactility to these sensory moments.” - Adrienna