Murray Gibson

b. 1960, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Over his distinguished career, Murray Gibson has often paid respect to weaving’s long history and global reach by referencing textile patterns inspired by cultures from around the world.

Prairie Carpet, was commissioned by Esso Resources Canada for the Esso Research Center on the University of Calgary campus. The tapestry is meant to evoke a “magic carpet ride” over the prairies and mountains and through the aurora borealis, and to echo the inquisitive journeys of researchers as they explore the universe. Unusually, the top section of the carpet is woven front-to-back so that it can only be read properly when it is folded over—a reference to how knowledge can flip our understanding of reality. Gibson, a graduate of the Alberta College of Art (now AUArts), is currently based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.