
October 18 – November 30, 2024
2024 Artist-In-Residence Exhibition
The Main Gallery
Opening Reception: Friday October 18th, 7 -10 pm
Free admission
Harcourt House Artist Run Centre proudly presents the groundbreaking work of a Jamaica-born, USA-educated, and Edmonton-based multi-disciplinary artist Garfield Morgan, in the multi-media exhibition set to both challenge and inspire. The exhibition “Cloth & Conscience: Transforming Clothes Into Voices of Change” – which culminates Garfield’s 2023-24 Artist-In-Residence Program at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre – shines a light on pressing global issues through the innovative medium of second-hand clothing.
Garfield employs a unique artistic approach by transforming discarded garments into compelling two and three-dimensional art and installation. This exhibit is a powerful critique of global consumerism and an exploration of socio-economic disparities, bringing fresh perspectives to critical dialogues surrounding exploitation, inequality, and human resilience.
An aspect of the show is a poignant reflection on the Rana Plaza disaster of April 2013 that occurred in Bangladesh, which tragedy starkly revealed the perilous conditions faced by garment workers in the Global South.
In leveraging these second-hand clothes, Garfield invites us to view clothing not merely as utility but as a powerful testimony to human struggle and resilience. The pieces challenge societal norms and illuminate the often-unseen suffering stitched into the very fabric of our everyday apparel.
Inspired by the transformative works of artists like El Anatsui and Ibrahim Mahama, and the Arte Povera movement, Morgan’s art transcends the materials’ former lives, standing as testaments to our interconnectedness and the social cost of unrestrained consumption. Each garment piece in this collection is carefully curated to communicate untold stories of exploitation and environmental degradation, while also sparking critical reflections on how we can forge a more conscious and just future.
Garfield Morgan offers us art that doesn’t just decorate space but challenges the mind and stirs the senses. In the end, Garfield’s multi-media exhibition compels the viewers to engage with works that turn waste into wonder and provoke meaningful conversations about our role in the global tapestry of consumerism and social justice.
Artist’s Biography
Garfield Morgan is a full-time multi-disciplinary artist who completed an MFA in Painting at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas USA. Upon completing his studies he was awarded the Post Graduate Fellowship in the School of Art at this Alma Mater.
As a member of Harcourt House Artist Run Centre, Garfield has found a supportive community that fosters his creative endeavors and amplifies his voice. He was named Artist-In-Residence at Harcourt House for 2023/2024. His passion for art, and his dedication to the communities of which he is a part, come together in his practice, making compelling works that address several important social and environmental issues.
His receipt of the Edmonton Arts Council’s “Equity and Access in the Arts” grant in 2023 and also being awarded the “Individuals & Collectives (Stream 3): Major Artist Drive Projects Winter 2024” grant further substantiates his rising prominence.
Garfield’s work has garnered international acclaim, with his piece “Consumer Bird” being exhibited at the Beijing Biennale in China in 2010 and later included in the Climate Art Collection in 2023. His inclusion in Jacqueline Bishop’s “Patchwork: Essays and Interviews on Caribbean Visual Culture” highlights his critical role in contemporary Caribbean art discourse.
Cloth & Conscience: Transforming Clothes Into Voices of Change is supported by the Edmonton Arts Council and the City of Edmonton.


Top Image: Consumerism’s Shadow (inspired by Gregory Escande photo), 2024; used clothing, used tarpaulin, acrylic, yarn
Photo by Garfield Morgan