Multidisciplinary artist and jeweler Catherine Blackburn is Dene from Patuanak, Saskatchewan, and a member of the English River First Nation. Common themes across her work address Canada’s colonial past, often prompted by the artist’s personal narratives. “My art merges contemporary concepts with elements of traditional Dene culture that create dialogue between traditional art forms and new interpretations of them,” says Blackburn. “Through Indigenous adornment techniques and design,
MUA/Hair/Creative Director: Kimberley Veitch MUA: Cheekbone Beauty Photographer: Darion Ko Model: Ellyn Jade
I continually aim to both honor historical knowledges and reinvent them. By doing so I celebrate Indigenous innovation and also disrupt what is seen and classified as ‘authentically Indigenous,’ a colonial construct designed to keep us in the historical past.”
Blackburn is currently working on an upcoming collection in collaboration with her niece, Melanie Leblanc. The two are developing a wearable art collection that will debut at the 2022 Santa Fe Indian Market Haute Couture Fashion Show. “We are only just in the beginning stages of this new collection, but through this body of work we are celebrating and exploring our own kin relationship inspired by our Dene identities,” she says. “These looks will feature oversized silhouettes, historical adornment techniques and honor our family histories.”
“My art merges contemporary concepts with elements of traditional Dene culture that create dialogue between traditional art forms and new interpretations of them.”
– Catherine Blackburn
Powered by Froala Editor
