Mega Bitch

Artist Statement

What if the end of the world happens, and it leads to something better? What if the future is something sparkling, strange, beautiful and better than we could have ever imagined? Through a series of quilted tapestries, Mega Bitch invites you to glimpse into a fantastical future inhabited by a cast of trans and queer characters. Each tapestry is rich in both color and texture, crafted using traditional methods of quilting, embroidery, and appliqué mixed with methods of rhinestoning and bedazzling. The mixture of techniques leans into and celebrates queer aesthetics of extravagance and excess. Drawing inspiration from a fusion of folklore, comics and queer culture, Mega Bitch examines conventional notions of femininity through a queer and humorous lens. By subverting tropes typically used to sexualize women, the artworks shed light on the absurdity of misogynistic expectations, inviting viewers to reconsider our current societal norms. In a time when queer and trans bodies are increasingly policed and systematically erased, Mega Bitch puts queerness at a forefront for all to enjoy and celebrate in all its strangeness and beauty.

Artist + Process: Get to know Mega Bitch artist Libbie Farrell     

The Basics

Name: Libbie Farrell

Location: amiskwacîwâskahikan / Edmonton AB

Media/Techniques: Textiles, quilting, embroidery, beading, bedazzling

Title of Exhibition: Mega Bitch

Exhibition Dates: June 12 – July 19, 2026; Opening Reception on June 11 @ 6PM

The Artist

Q: What has been on your mind lately?

A: Finishing this show! I have been working on the pieces in this collection for the last three years. As fun as quilting is, it’s not a quick practice.  So this show, regardless of what I was doing in my day-to-day or at my job, was always in the background of my mind. I am always thinking of who else I would meet on the other side of the portal into the Mega Bitch Universe and what stories these characters would have. 

Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to becoming an artist?

A: I have always been lucky to be a maker in one way or another, and grew up in a household where my mother quilted, and my parents both fostered a love of creativity for me. I grew up in rural Alberta and moved to the Maritimes to go to University, both of these environments helped bring me towards craft as a medium and the communities I have been able to be a part of have allowed me to thrive as an artist. Nothing is created in a vacuum, I am immensely lucky to have mentors, peers and friends across Canada and beyond who have helped mold me into the artist I am today. Since graduating from my BFA I have had the joy of getting to participate in Residencies across the country to work on Mega Bitch to ultimately bring back to the Maritimes and share with the people here.

The Process

Q: What draws you to the materials or processes you use? 

A: How fun it is! There is something so magical about going to the thrift store or to the remnants section of a fabric store and buying possibly the worst most garish fabrics ever made. There is a thrill to getting to make something beautiful and strange with what you can find. I also love how approachable textiles can be for people from all walks of life. When I see a strange textile or quilt I cant help but want to touch it so I can understand it even more, I want to make work that makes people want to walk right up to it and touch it (even if they shouldn't in a gallery space). 

Q: Do you listen to anything while you work? Have any music/podcast recommendations?

A: Because so many of the elements of these quilts are intricately hand sewn, the embellishment of the work takes hours and hours, so I need content that can last hours and hours. While I work I love to have a TV show or youtube video playing in the background. The final two quilts for this show were made while watching the first 4 seasons of Star Trek Deep Space Nine, and a youtube gameshow called ‘Interior Motives’. I would recommend both! Earlier quilts were created on a media diet of Real Housewives Franchises, and DJ sets on youtube.

The Practice

Q: What questions are you exploring in Mega Bitch?

A: Mega Bitch is about exploring a fantastical world where an unwashed bikini from a Guys Frenchy’s grants you access to a portal into another time and place in a maybe-future where trans and queer folks rule. In entering this alternate world ,I am capturing folklore and memorials for a place that doesn't exist yet. Mega Bitch is also an opportunity for me to explore my own perceptions of queerness and the queer body and the radicalness of the trans body and proudly being queer. As the pendulum swings and trans people are actively being targeted and erased, we need to be steadfast in our reminding of trans and queer existence and power. 

Q: Is there a particular piece in Mega Bitch that stands out to you? If so, why?

A: I love all my bitches (my quilts) but I am particularly fond of ‘Mommy Bitch’. This quilt was conceived at a time when multiple people, whom I love and admire, were having kids. I am very lucky to have a really strong relationship with my own mother, so seeing others step into motherhood was really interesting for me. I spent a lot of time with my sister-in-law immediately after her child was born and it opened my eyes to how hardcore motherhood really is. The opportunity to spend this precious time with her and the baby made me realize that Childbirth, like Transness, is one of the most radical and incredibly beautiful things we can do with our bodies. The work itself is made on the base of a quilt my mother had on her childhood bed, and was made by her mother (my grandmother). The work is a reflection of the love I have for the new mothers in my life, and the love I have for my own mother, and those who came before.