Catherine Blackburn was born in Patuanak, Saskatchewan, of Dene and European ancestry. She is a member of the English River First Nation. Blackburn is a multidisciplinary artist and jeweler whose frequent themes handle Canada’s colonial previous, usually prompted by private narratives.
Catherine Blackburn x Skye Paul, Mahsi Cho Looking Bag, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, picture: artist. “This bag, a model of a conventional searching bag, is a labor of affection,” says Blackburn. “The tote design was a collaboration with the wickedly gifted Skye Paul of @runningfoxbeads. I wished to duplicate her canvas tote design, which was a play on the plastic grocery bag with the repeated ‘thanks’; nevertheless, hers reads ‘thanks very a lot’ in our Dene language. This handstitched model borrows from Skye’s celebration of the Dene language and varieties a beaded couture bag, pulling it from a shopper throwaway merchandise right into a sluggish vogue murals.”
In her observe, Blackburn merges blended media and vogue to create dialogue between historic artwork varieties and new interpretations of them. US Secretary of the Inside Deb Haaland—the primary Indigenous cupboard member—wore Blackburn’s jewellery in her well-known shoot for June 2021’s InStyle journal, and the artist’s jewellery has additionally been featured in Vogue.
By working with beadwork and different historic adornment strategies, Blackburn creates an area to discover Indigenous sovereignty, decolonization, and illustration. Go to her web site here.
Catherine Blackburn x Rykelle Kemp, Future Imaginative and prescient, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, facepiece, smoked moose conceal, vintage and classic beads, caribou hair, brass and sterling silver particulars, white topaz stones, leather-based backing, 7 ½ x 7 x 6 inches (191 x 178 x 152 mm), picture: Patrick Shannon. “It is a one-of-a-kind handmade work made in collaboration with the ultra-talented Rykelle Kemp, of @ahlazuafinearts,” Blackburn says. “It’s an ode to the previous with a imaginative and prescient into the longer term. It’s made utilizing smoked moosehide, all classic and vintage beads, and exquisite darkish blue caribou hair tufts in a sample impressed by my late Setsunè (grandmother).”
Artwork Jewellery Discussion board: Congratulations on being one of many finalists for the 2023 Susan Beech Mid-Profession Grant—what an accomplishment! Please inform us about your self. How did you turn into curious about making jewellery? What evokes your work?
Catherine Blackburn: On my maternal facet, I come from a household of conventional garment makers, beadwork artists, trappers, and fishermen who make the most of their distinctive abilities to dwell in relationship with the land. As a baby, on visits to Patuanak, I might watch as kin returned from searching journeys downriver with wild sport tucked away of their hand-built picket skiffs as Grandma waited on shore, knife in hand, prepared to start making ready all of the goodies that will be consumed or reused.
My Setsuné (grandmother) created unimaginable beaded clothes from these animal skins. I might watch in marvel as she skinned, stretched, and smoked them into golden brown hides, a course of that may take weeks and requires precision and experience. Afterward, she would station herself at her beading desk, stitching into them fantastically brilliant and complex motifs.
Catherine Blackburn x Melanie LeBlanc, Huge Aunty Power, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, picture: Tira Howard. “An authentic coat revamped right into a excessive/low model,” says Blackburn. “The micro beaded pin is a portrait of my mom/Melanie’s grandma, Cecile. All through the Convergence Assortment, we honor the matriarchs in our life, centering their energy, magnificence, and data.”
Catherine Blackburn x Melanie LeBlanc, Huge Aunty Power, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, brooches, reworked classic beaver fur coat, custom-designed lining with dye-sublimation printing, vintage picket body keyhole again element, rhinestone chain edges inside body on the within of coat, hand-cut fur opening and lining, picture: Billie Chiasson
Once I create utilizing conventional strategies or supplies, comparable to smoked moose conceal or animal hair, I’m instantly linked to my tradition via a robust connection that’s rooted in ancestral data, sovereignty, and love. Simply as my grandmother created work imbued with intention and that means utilizing slow-fashion processes—processes outlined as labors of affection—I create work impressed by her. For me stitching is drugs, and once I sit at my beading desk, I fall into making in a method that isn’t thought-about labor.
Catherine Blackburn x Skye Paul, Mahsi Cho Looking Bag, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, classic pearl white beads, classic bead chain, real pears, smoked moosehide, hand-dyed rooster feathers, lambskin leather-based, caribou hair, fox fur, gold-plated chains and findings, 16 x 33 x 2 inches (40.6 x 83.8 x 5.1 cm), picture: Tira Howard
Inform us in regards to the venture with which you utilized for the grant.
Catherine Blackburn: I used to be excited to increase into extra site-specific documenting that would come with a few of my wearable collaboration work from the newest assortment, Convergence. These works reside vessels on the physique, transferring current into future as carriers of ancestral knowledges. It will be important that these wearable works be documented and activated as I proceed to discover embodied connections to the land.
The scope of this venture is massive. As elements of this newly debuted assortment are in demand and turn into dispersed for varied exhibitions, it was all the time my hope to have them embodied via movie. My transition into bigger collaborative initiatives over the previous 4 years has been crucial to my observe and resulted in totally realized elements not attainable via solo exploration. For this part I might proceed to collaborate with different Indigenous artists. The geographical boundaries and funds required to work with these artists has me at a standstill in its growth. This grant would permit the time, journey, and assets to deliver this part to fruition.
Catherine Blackburn, picture: Nicole Romanoff
How do you suppose being a finalist will have an effect on you? Will it affect you sooner or later?
Catherine Blackburn: I’m not certain. Maybe it would permit extra publicity to my observe internationally.
Catherine Blackburn x Rykelle Kemp, We Honor Bison, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, headpiece, sterling silver, positive silver, 14- and 23.5-karat gold, keum-boo, inlaid hand-cut black mother-of-pearl, hand-set faceted white sapphires, micro-beaded bison portrait stitched with vintage and classic glass beads, classic Swarovski pearl/rhinestone chain periphery, leather-based backing with beadwork utilized to unsmoked caribou conceal, gifted/harvested bison horn, 11 x 9 x 2 ½ inches (280 x 229 x 64 mm), picture: Billie Chiasson
What excites you in regards to the artwork jewellery subject?
Catherine Blackburn: Adorning Indigenous our bodies has all the time been a lifestyle for Indigenous individuals. The suppression of those artwork expressions started within the early nineteenth century via pressured assimilation by the Canadian authorities and Christian missionaries. My work in wearable work explores the duality of Indigenous presence and absence via exploring ways of colonial erasure. On this method, adornment is an act of resistance. It’s a political assertion in its survival and thru its reclamation. On this method stitchwork is an announcement of energy in its refusal to be erased by the oppressive historical past of colonization, by as an alternative celebrating the continuum of Indigenous presence and id.
Catherine Blackburn x Emily Jan, Ancestor Dreamin’, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, headpiece, beaded portrait: classic and vintage microbeads utilized to unsmoked caribou conceal (courtesy of @cvltvrebead); framed floral space: up to date dimension 11/0 seed beads, Charlotte reduce gold plated beads, rhinestone chain and tufted caribou hair (courtesy of @kin.harvest.co); edging: pearls; backing: custom-designed dye-sublimated satin; bead fringe at face and again of head: gold-plated charlottes, up to date seed beads, Swarovski bicones, caribou hair, 26 x 16 x 44 inches (66 x 40.6 x 111.7 cm), picture: Tira Howard. Blackburn says: “Emily Jan created this hybrid caribou/elk/moose utilizing wire, thermoplastic, gold leaf, and different elements. It cradles my late grandmother’s (Setsunè’s) portrait, taken by @sweetmoonphoto. Designed after the animals that the Denesuline individuals have relied on for hundreds of years, this piece remembers historical past, celebrates Indigenous presence, and powerfully presents a steadfast future the place Indigenous magnificence and illustration turn into heart stage.”
Have you ever skilled any frustrations with the sphere?
Catherine Blackburn: I really feel it’s tough for individuals to see beadwork jewellery as something greater than a commodity at instances. The sort of stitchwork and the supplies it’s made with go far past “product” and “commodity.” Their materiality describes historical past, drugs, and love for our communities. If you buy beadwork/stitchwork jewellery, you’re investing in an heirloom merchandise that’s celebrating tradition and honoring an immense quantity of affection and respect.
For hundreds of years this work has been devalued and seen as “craft,” when it is likely one of the oldest types of high-end, exquisitely luxurious couture work.
Catherine Blackburn, Carry It Ahead, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, drugs purse, picture: Nicole Romanoff. “This purse doubles as a drugs bag,” says Blackburn. “Beaded with love, intention, and a few of my late Setsunè’s (grandmother’s) purple beads, this piece is near my coronary heart. Once I was little, my grandma made me a small drugs pouch and I might put all my favourite little issues in it. Reminiscence of our family members turned the roots of this assortment as we recall tales and moments with our grandmothers that formed and impressed us. Two pockets behind the purse maintain drugs, a cigarette holder for tobacco, and an empty pouch for any drugs of the service’s selecting.”
Catherine Blackburn, Carry It Ahead, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, drugs purse, hand-smoked moose conceal back and front, uncommon vintage metal reduce beads, classic Venetian denim blue seed beads, classic striped burgundy/brown beads, classic pearl seed beads, Blackburn’s late grandmother’s classic purple beads (florals), classic Swarovski bead chain outer body, caribou hair, real pearl edging, gold-plated thick chain-link deal with, leather-based “Cecile” tag (named after Blackburn’s mom/Melanie LeBlanc’s grandmother), leather-based drugs pouches/pockets on again, classic brass frames that maintain drugs tags, picture: artist
What path do you suppose artwork jewellery as an entire goes? Do you see any new and galvanizing developments?
Catherine Blackburn: I really feel that, a lot as with clothes developments, extra customers are curious about wearable “artworks” and sustainability inside their vogue selections. I really feel there’s extra of an curiosity in understanding the place your product comes from, how it’s made, and what story it tells. I hope that customers can proceed to study in regards to the artworks they put on and the deeper connections they provide.
Catherine Blackburn, Carry It Ahead (again), from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, drugs purse, picture: artist
Catherine Blackburn, Cloey, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, necklace, vintage and classic micro beads, unsmoked caribou conceal, classic pearl bead lace, real pearls, gold-plated beads and accents, picture: Nicole Romanoff. “A micro beaded portrait that honors the matriarchs in our life, centering energy, magnificence, and data,” says the artist.
The place would you want your observe to be 5 years from now?
Catherine Blackburn: I hope to have expanded on new modes of constructing that add to my wearable works observe, maybe shifting extra into transferring picture. Primarily I hope to proceed to search out pleasure within the making whereas having my works worn and celebrated.
Catherine Blackburn x Sophia Park, Convergent Evolution, from the Convergence Assortment, 2022, facepiece, 18-karat gold enamel caps, gold-plated elaborations/bead fringe, hand-dyed rooster feather particulars, Swarovski bicone accents, 24 x 4 ½ x 6 ½ inches (609 x 114 x 165 mm), picture: Billie Chiasson. “It is a collaboration with many,” explains Blackburn, “together with my husband, @derekboechler, who harvested this bear two springs in the past; sample and development for all fiber elements by @yyesstiny; metalsmithing by Sophia Park, from @spylxn; and my mother and father, Andrew and Cecile Blackburn.”
