Métis Rose III SOLD
by Lisa Shepherd & Kristi Bridgeman All rights reserved |
Métis Rose III *** SOLD
Lisa Shepherd & Kristi Bridgeman The Métis matriarchs of early British Columbia, often in the historical shadows of their husbands, were well educated, had the ability to speak many languages and could carry on the business of the trade. At the same time, their knowledge of plant medicine and ability to live off the land, ensured survival when everywhere west of the Rockies was still considered wild. Their mastery of beadwork, embroidery and functional leather work was much sought after and, through trade, provided means for their families. In the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia), it was Métis women who married HBC officers and were therefore, for a brief period of time, within the upper echelons of society. Métis Rose III is dedicated to Isabella Mainville Ross. Isabella was a Métis woman of Anishinaabe and French lineage who married HBC Chief Trader Charles Ross with whom she had nine children. She was known as a strong and courageous woman who knew the plants and their medicinal uses. A decade after her husband died, Isabella purchased 99 acres of land near Fort Victoria, making her the first female landowner in British Columbia. Mixed media: moose hide, velveteen, glass and metal beads, porcupine quills, sepia ink and watercolour on paper. This original work is 26” x 26” and has been shadow box framed with archival and anti-glare glass. ~ About Forget-me-not, Métis Rose: the Far West Forget-me-not, Métis Rose: the Far West is the third body of collaborative work in the Forget-me-not, Métis Rose touring exhibition by cousins Lisa Shepherd and Kristi Bridgeman. The Far West collection celebrates the culture, tenacity and indeed the very existence of Métis people in British Columbia. The first Forget-me-not, Métis Rose collection showed at the Jasper Museum & Archives and celebrated the Métis stories and the plants endemic to that area, while the second collection showed at the Musée Heritage Museum in St. Albert, Alberta, and told a broader story of the Métis across the prairies. This latest collection, the Far West, localizes the story for the Métis of British Columbia, an often invisible group of people too often viewed through a pan-Indigenous lens. These are their distinct stories. About the collaboration Lisa Shepherd and Kristi Bridgeman, Métis artists, met serendipitously through an artist group, where they exchanged stories of family and ancestry. As they pieced together their stories, they began to realize their connection through their common ancestor Suzette Swift. With Suzette watching over them, the artists share their knowledge, explore their culture and create a collaborative body of work honour their Grandmothers and Métis ancestral designs. ***This piece has been sold.***
View other ORIGINAL ARTWORK for sale. View PRINTS for sale featuring this design. View ART CARDS for sale featuring this design. |