Catherine Blackburn

Catherine Blackburn was born in Patuanak, Saskatchewan in 1984. Blackburn is of Dene and European ancestry and a member of the English River Dene First Nation. She is a multidisciplinary artist and jeweler. Her work has been exhibited in exhibitions and fashion venues including BorderLINE: 2020 Biennial of Contemporary Art at the Remai Modern in Saskatchewan; Àbadakone at the National Gallery of Canada; Santa Fe Indian Market’s Haute Couture Fashion Show; and Art Encounters on the Edge at the Bonavista Biennale, Newfoundland. She has received numerous grants and awards for her work, including the Saskatchewan RBC Emerging Artist Award, the Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award, a publication in Vogue online magazine, as well as her inclusion on the 2019 Sobey Art Award longlist. Blackburn earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. She currently lives and works in Thornhill, BC, Canada.

"Bound through the ancestral love that stitching suggests, my work in beading and adornment is rooted in Indigenous beauty, brilliance and power. Adorning Indigenous bodies has always been a way of life for Indigenous people; the suppression of these art expressions began in the early 19th century with the arrival of the first Christian missionaries. Through stories and experiences both personal and political, my hands stitch together histories and practices bound by reclamation and resistance. In this way adornment is part of my survivance story, and through it, I celebrate the immense strength and beauty of our people."—Catherine Blackburn (English River Dene First Nation)