May 20 – October 10, 2021
“Why am I not seeing beaded masks anywhere?” It was a question that Métis artists Nathalie Bertin and Lisa Shepherd both pondered in April 2020. The coronavirus pandemic was affecting people around the world, and they wanted to explore how traditionally crafted masks were being used as a way of expressing this time. Inviting artists to design beaded masks emerging from their experiences as they navigated changing COVID-19 conditions, they launched a Facebook group simply called “Breathe.” to facilitate image sharing. Within two weeks membership had grown to over 1500.
The second touring exhibition emerging from the Breathe. project, this iteration includes 44 masks that speak to both cultural resilience and strength of community in the face of a pandemic. Acknowledging the global impact of the virus, the initiative has encompassed the mask designs of any artist working with traditional beadwork techniques as well as an array of other materials and methods, creating space for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists.
Interactive Tour | Enter the exhibition >
Gallery
(Click to view)
Argue
Behn-Dettieh
Bertin
Bertin
Boehm
Boivin
Brown-Green
Brown-Green
Burrows
Carlin
Dumont
Falashoka
Firth
Friesen
Friesen
Hageman (Burke)
Hiebert
Hiebert
Hyggen
Kappas Dufrene
Kelly
Kelly
Kwan
Kwan
La Fontaine
Lafferty
Lee
Lickers
Longjohn-Constant
Murray
Poliquin
Poliquin
Reis
Smith
Shepherd
Taalrumiq
Thomas
Trudeau
Trudeau
Vien
Image detail: Naomi Smith (Chippewas of Nawash), Oh, Let Me Be Free…, 2021, glass beads, crystals, vintage glass, cotton velveteen, deer hide, cotton sheeting, fabric foundation, metal pieces, beading thread. Collection of the artist.