The Flower People: Melanie Monique Rose

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Melanie Monique Rose, "Summer Sleeping 1, "2020 (photo by Blair Hornun)

The Flower People is a story about me, my family, my people and our connection and relationship to the land, ourselves, and each other. It is derived from the name ‘The Flower Beadwork People’ a name given to the Métis who are well known for their floral beadwork.

Felted pieces, combined with the use of collected blankets create a canvas for my personal exploration of identity as a contemporary Indigenous Artist, alongside my Ukrainian heritage. My floral imagery invokes stories of people, place, and the land. Personal, cultural, and universal symbolism are woven into the fabric of my work with an emphasis on movement, colour, and narrative.

The slow, process-orientated execution of felting becomes meditative and at times acts as healing and a prayer to my family and community. My most recent works are personal acts of Indigenous survivance & solidarity.