ARTIST
" The heart is the art, and I have been using my healing practice as inspiration for the work that is still unfolding. I tend to my creative soil by using darkness as fertilizer. I am always growing. Through healing I grow toward the light.”
Mend is a member of Pattern Nation, a clothing brand, art collective and creative platform for colourful humans. Her work addresses issues of the soul and ranges across media depending on what is at hand. Most recently, she has used temporary installations and healing rituals together to connect members of her community through body and soul awareness practices. In the second dimension, she creates digital art based on exploring the buddhist ideology of infinite selves through the selfie (“selfless-ie”). She also collects found paper or internet culture images to make surrealist collages that serve as commentary on the state of art in the real and online (NFT) worlds. In the third dimension, she creates upcycled wearable art from discarded clothes and fabric scraps. In the fourth dimension, make-up artist, stylist and performance artist roles merge to curate fashion shows in the new paradigm where fashion is sustainable and heals the soul.
MUSICIAN
" I can’t keep the sun from the sky / I can’t keep the sun from the sea / I can’t make this moment last / I can’t keep the present from the past / But I know this body, and I know this life, and I know this world runs on love / So all day, all night, every day and every night/ I’ll be at peace, I will not fight / to live with ease is my birthright.”
Mend has used songwriting as a tool to channel her highest dreams, lessons and affirmations. Each song carries the burden of a little pain and a little work. The message is this: freedom, connection and love are what we sing about because it is what we live for. Community is what it’s all about, which is why Mend encourages other artists to collaborate, jam and flow with her on this journey to create a new world through song. Since 2022, Mend has written dozens of songs. She has recorded and released 4 singles and will soon release her debut album.
Healer
" I chose the name Mend because it is what you need to type into the emoji search bar to find the bandaged heart emoji. The emoji, to me, is a symbol of how language is evolving. It’s a reminder that everything, from the way we identify to how we relate to each other will change as we collectively heal our hearts here and now.”
Mend is the alias for Brianna Klassen, a real, hurting, healing human. She has survived the challenges of a life with loss, trauma and heartbreak. Shining a light on her own suffering has created a world of vulnerability, and a world of potential for beauty. Through yoga, guided meditation, sound healing and art workshops she gathers people for the sake of safe self expression, rest and celebration. Healing herself is the first step, and she is doing the thing even when she just takes a bath with a hot cup of tea. If you are looking to connect with a radical, colourful, alternative healing spirit, connect with Mend and all your dreams will come true.
