Mary Borgstrom

Mary Borgstrom (May 18, 1916 – April 3, 2019) was a Canadian potter, ceramist, and artist who specialized in primitive techniques. She was presented with the "Award of Excellence" by the Canadian Guild of Crafts in Quebec.

Life Borgstrom was born in Saskatchewan in 1916, and later moved to Provost, Alberta.

Reviews and awards Virginia J Watt, a director at the Canadian Guild of Crafts stated: "In all of her work, she maintains a sober austerity that gives her primitive style its purity and sophistication."

Creative process Often claiming to be inspired by the natural landscape, Borgstrom scavenged for her own artistic materials in the nature surrounding her childhood home. This included the cultivation of clay. Here, Borgstrom created her pottery workshop later in her life. Borgstrom attests to working within a "primitive technique" of pottery and clay making.

Exhibitions In 1971, twenty-five of Borgstrom's clay works were exhibited at the Canadian Guild of Handicrafts acquired by the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, resulting in an invitation to attend the Arts and Culture Program at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada. Borgstrom's works are held internationally in Japanese and English collections. Several of Borgstrom's pieces are currently on display across Canadian galleries including the Art Gallery of Alberta and the National Gallery of Canada.