It all began with a shoe …

In 2013, I was walking in the ditch alongside a small road in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada with a friend. At the time, I had two part-time jobs and barely making rent. As we were making our way towards to mall I came across an object that would change my career path – a shoe; a Banana Republic size 7 high heel, to be exact. Liking the look of the shoe, I picked it up and took it home with me. My friend asked why I was carrying around a shoe. My response: “It’s art.” That summer I transformed the damaged discarded shoe into a fully beaded work of art.

The Shoe (2013) has been showcased at the Emily Carr House (Victoria, BC), Carcross Art House (Carcross, Yukon), Talking Stick Festival (Roundhouse, Vancouver, BC).

As soon as I completed The Shoe, I began working on another discarded roadside item – a pylon. While living in Victoria, BC I collected the pylon from the street after a construction crew had left it behind. I had originally left the pylon thinking someone would pick it up. It wasn’t until a vehicle ran it over that I decided to take it home. The pylon traveled from Victoria to Whitehorse and back to Victoria with me. The second trip back to Victoria was when I decided to bead the piece. This was the moment when “Indigenizing Colonial Garbage” popped into my head. “Indigenizing Colonial Garbage” is an ongoing series of found objects, from the side of roadways, that I bead and create works of art.

The Pylon (2014) has been showcased at the Adaka Cultural Festival (Whitehorse, Yukon), Carcross Art House (Carcross, Yukon), The Art of Indigenous Resistance (United States Tour produced by Honour the Earth).

Indigenizing Colonial Garbage continues to grow and expand. I believe I will continue to add to this work for the rest of my life. There are always more discarded treasures to be found and loved that need to be reborn as a works of art.