Catherine Blackburn | New Age Warriors
The Muse, Douglas Family Art Centre 224 Main Street South, PO Box 497, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X5
Catherine Blackburn, “The Churchill Challenger,” 2018
inkjet on dibond, 48 x 60 in. (courtesy of the Gallery)
Catherine Blackburn melds traditional form with contemporary design in New Age Warriors, using the framework of beading to explore cultural identity, memory, and history. As a jeweller and visual artist, Catherine has worked in painting, quilling, and beading to address Canada’s colonial past through her personal experiences.
An exploration of new media and directions in her practice, Catherine has fashioned warrior garments and language medallions from plastic Perler beads in New Age Warriors to show the connection between materiality and Indigenous women’s ability to adapt to their changing environments. Each outfit is an amalgamation of elements in female clothing from different North American nations, honouring the diversity and innovation of traditional Indigenous design.
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