Tuija Hansen (HBFA, MA) is a textile artist and instructor living and working in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Hansen studied felting, dying, and embroidery at Kootenay School of Arts school of craft and design and printmaking at Lakehead University. Her works of art depict geography: physically and conceptually. Hansen’s practice is strongly influenced by her northern, boreal forest surroundings; as such she incorporates organic, found matter into textile works via foraged plant dyes, and creates wearable pieces that are cozy, warm, and comforting. Working with traditional textile mediums allows the possibility to engage with her Finnish ancestry via meditative, concentrated, and tactile processes while reflecting on the significance of place, migration, and location. Hansen enjoys teaching and learning, recently instructing with Mindful Makers Collective, in Thunder Bay and leading fibre-focused workshops with Jumblies Theatre (Toronto, ON) and as an instructor-in-residence with Thinking Rock Community Arts in Blind River, ON.