Catherine Blackburn: New Age Warriors

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Catherine Blackburn, "The Churchill Challenger," 2018

inkjet on dibond, 48" x 60"

Exhibition opening reception, presented in partnership with the Indigenous Peoples Artist Collective: Friday September 14th at 7:00 PM

Catherine Blackburn, of Dene and European roots, is part of a new generation of contemporary beaders on the prairies who has made a name for herself nationally and internationally in the past few years. Much of her earlier work, including 'But there's No Scar, Our Mother(s) Tongue, and Tell Me the Truth grapples with themes of loss and survivance, and similar concepts underpin this exhibition. Yet in many ways, this is a series that defies the spaces she has most commonly treaded.

New Age Warriors opens conversations about Indigenous innovation, ways to live on the land in the twenty-first century, and how love serves as a mighty force. With gear designed from plastic beads, Blackburn draws from the past and present to shape notions about an imagined future - a future filled with strong Indigenous women in protective armour battling stereotypes and facing colonialism by channeling the power of love. - Dr. Carmen Robertson, 2018

About the Artist:

Catherine Blackburn was born in Île-à-la-Crosse SK. She is of Dene and European ancestry and is a member of the English River First Nation. Her work in beading, painting, and jewelry address Canada’s colonial past, prompted by personal narratives. Through the subject of family, she is inspired to express her own feelings and experiences that speak to the complexities of memory, history, and identity. Her art merges contemporary concepts with elements of traditional Dene culture that create dialogue between traditional art forms and new interpretations of them. She has been included in notable exhibitions such as Beadspeak (2016) at Slate Fine Art Gallery, Regina; Worlds on a String: Beads, Journeys, Inspirations (2016) at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto; the renowned 2017 Bonavista Biennale, as one of only 26 Canadian artists; and 'My Sister,' the Contemporary Indigenous Art Biennial 2018/La Biennale d'Art Contemporain Autochtone (BACA) in Montreal, Quebec. She has received numerous grants and awards for her work, including a Governor General History Award, the highly recognized Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant, and most recently the Saskatchewan RBC Emerging Artist Award. She is affiliated with the Alcheringa Gallery in Victoria BC; the Mann Art Gallery in Prince Albert SK., Slate Gallery in Regina, SK.; the B.Yellowtail collective in Los Angeles, California; the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto ON; and the Remai Modern in Saskatoon SK.