Artist's Statement

Born in London and raised in Scotland, I am a queer artist based in Nelson, BC. I have lived in the Kootenays for the past eight years, including two summers on Vancouver Island. As a white, middle-class, able-bodied, educated woman I recognize my significant privilege. Through my art, I intend to use this privilege to initiate conversations about social justice, particularly with other settlers on the topic of decolonization.

This body of work stems from my journey to understand how colonialism has shaped my worldview. Living as a settler on stolen Indigenous land, I am acutely aware of the creative inspiration I draw from this place, while grappling with the heritage of my country’s colonial history here. The harm we inflicted upon the Indigenous peoples in Canada through, but not exclusive to, religious control, cultural genocide and physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, left a devastating legacy. Reconciling this dissonance is at the heart of this artistic exploration. 

"A Shifting Lens" represents the different emotional spaces I have inhabited, and the pieces of knowledge I have gained, over the past year as I have begun the work of dismantling the colonial structures that influence my worldview. This process has involved reading, listening, walking and talking, paying attention to my dreams, and learning from exceptional teachers, mentors and friends. These people and practices have helped me challenge my own narratives and recognize my complicity in colonial practices and ideologies.

I primarily work with gouache, a medium that allows for both mutability and precision, creating backgrounds with a sense of freeness while incorporating elements of detail and realism. In my work, shapes, plants, and animals symbolize thoughts or experiences, while color depicts mood and energy. I often work on multiple pieces simultaneously, allowing a collective flow to move between them. These pieces do not need to be viewed linearly. They chart an emotional  journey in which each feeling can coexist simultaneously.

I offer my deepest respect and gratitude to the Indigenous peoples who have lived on and with this land for thousands of years, nurturing the abundance and magic of the Kootenays; the Sinixt, the Syilx, the Ktunaxa, the Métis, and other Indigenous peoples connected to this place. I understand that colonialism has inflicted cultural genocide, violence, and trauma upon these communities but that despite this, they have remained committed to their worldview and their traditions, their stories and practices, and have hugely benefited the communities in which they participate.  I commit to the ongoing journey of learning their truths, listening to their stories, and learning to see the world through a lens of decolonization.

My objective with this body of work is to foster dialogue and introspection among other settlers. I invite you, the viewer, to engage with the uncomfortable truths of colonial history and consider how we can personally and collectively work towards reconciliation and healing.