About the art
Christi Belcourt’s work reflects an understanding of all life as kin, interconnected through relationships of mutual care and responsibility. Painted dot by dot and inspired by beadwork traditions, she says this is:
"a painting for the Métis Nation. Each plant depicted is a type of wild plant that can be found in one or all provinces from Ontario to British Columbia (the same area of land as the traditional Métis homeland). Some of the plants are indigenous to North America . . . and some are introduced species from Europe but also have been used by Indigenous people for medicines . . . The medicines and plants in this painting are my prayers for the Métis Nation to encourage our healing."
Belcourt turned this particular piece into a Study Print Kit, printed in large format with medicinal information on the back of each panel. Equipped with split pins and magnets, I invite you to arrange and re-arrange the work, seeing many of the interconnections and relations of our plant kin.
About the sculpture
When I wrote to Christi Belcourt's general website email I didn't really expect to hear a response or at least not soon - much to my surprise, she answered me the very next day with instructions on where to purchase a back-ordered Study Print Kit from!
I wanted to set this up vertically so that multiple people could take part in doing the 'puzzle' together, and so that the final form would read as a painting on the wall. I also wanted each panel to be reversible so that both the text and painting sides could be revealed.
Some experimenting and family brainstorming led me away from sewing magnets onto the big canvas tarp and toward discovering the joys of contact cement (thanks, Nina!). Seriously, it's magic. The split pins are maybe not as magnetic as I would like them to be, but I wanted to find the least disruptive adaptation to these beautiful cards. We'll see how it all stands up after a night of handling!
I wanted to set this up vertically so that multiple people could take part in doing the 'puzzle' together, and so that the final form would read as a painting on the wall. I also wanted each panel to be reversible so that both the text and painting sides could be revealed.
Some experimenting and family brainstorming led me away from sewing magnets onto the big canvas tarp and toward discovering the joys of contact cement (thanks, Nina!). Seriously, it's magic. The split pins are maybe not as magnetic as I would like them to be, but I wanted to find the least disruptive adaptation to these beautiful cards. We'll see how it all stands up after a night of handling!
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Christi Belcourt
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Christi Belcourt (apihtâwikosisâniskwêw / mânitow sâkahikanihk) is a visual artist, designer, community organizer, environmentalist, social justice advocate, and avid land-based arts and language learner.
Christi is a visual artist with a deep respect for the traditions and knowledge of her people. Like generations of Indigenous artists before her, she celebrates the beauty of natural world while exploring nature’s symbolic properties. Following the tradition of Métis floral beadwork, Belcourt paints in dots and uses the subject matter as metaphors for human existence to relay a variety of meanings which include concerns for the environment, biodiversity, spirituality and awareness of Métis culture. Facebook @ChristiBelcourt, Twitter @christibelcourt, Instagram @christi_belcourt. |
Special thanks to
Christi Belcourt, Nina Zhang, my family