Toronto, Ontario

Omar Badrin prefers to work with non-traditional crochet materials inspired by Maritime culture and his time working in the construction industry in Alberta: paracord, fishing twine, flagging tape and mason twine. Working with fluorescent-coloured materials reminds him of objects washed onto the shores of Newfoundland’s seascapes. Badrin’s love of beach-combing, finding traces of colours and fishing twine from around the coastal shores of the Bonavista Peninsula influence his colour palette.

Omar Badrin. In My Skin, 2017. Performance by Sarah Joy Stoker. Industrial Fishing Twine and Mason Line. Variable Dimensions. Photo credit: Brian Ricks.

Omar Badrin. Lacuna, 2018. Paracord, Industrial Fishing Twine, Mason Line and Flagging Tape. 58" × 36" × 5”. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Omar Badrin. Model Minority, 2018. Phosphorescent Paracord and Mason Line. 9 1⁄2” x 10 1⁄2” x 10 1⁄2”. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Omar Badrin. Racially Bounded, 2019. Phosphorescent Paracord and Mason Line. 20” x 9 3⁄4” x 7”. Photo credit: Darren Rigo.

Badrin learned to crochet in 2014 during a residency in Newfoundland for his MFA. He had originally intended to learn a regional craft, starting with fishing nets, but quickly realized that crochet was the right medium for its sentimental value — he’d grown up watching his grandmother and mother crochet. Finding inspiration in the work of other makers, Badrin’s work is framed in conversation with those of similar life experience, yet his work is uniquely his own.

Advising younger makers, he notes: “Some people won’t like your work, or won’t understand it, or will project their own ideas onto it. This comes with the profession. Be open to constructive feedback, but don’t let negative criticism discourage you. Be resilient and focused.”

Omar Badrin
w: omarbadrin.com
ig: @omarbadrin

This article was published in the Fall/Winter 2020 issue of Studio Magazine.