NWT Arts

I make artwork using moose hide, porcupine quills, caribou antlers and beads. I mostly create beaded jewelry, focusing on earrings and necklaces. I just started to learn tufting, which is something I’d love to incorporate in my artwork eventually.

My mom taught me how to bead when I was young. She was doing her own beadwork, and I showed interest in her hobby because she seemed to really enjoy it. I asked her if I could try it too and I ended up enjoying it as much as she does, so now we sit and bead together. 

My mom is my favourite artist, she inspires me a lot! I use a lot of patterns that she created, but we keep inspiring each other when we share our ideas.

I also get inspired by our elderly family members and the beautiful art they have created in the past. They used to tuft flowers and add beaded flowers to moccasins, which motivated me to try to reproduce their patterns. Now, when I’m beading flowers like they did, I feel a special connection to my culture and my Dene ancestry.

I will typically draw my designs out before I start a new project. I draw multiple options, especially with different colours, which I like to experiment with. I love to have combos that contrast with each other, like bright pink and dark blue.

What I like the most about beading is how it calms me down. When I’m sitting with my mom or listening to a podcast while I bead, I notice that my body just calms down and I don’t have to worry about anything. Overall, making beadwork makes me feel happy, but I really love to bring joy to other people with the art that I make as well: it’s nice to connect with them in this way!