arts & ideas

FATHER SONGS p. 38 n RAPE STORIES p. 39 n REVIEWS p. 40 n RED HAIR p. 41

FACT AND FICTION p. 42 n MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE p. 43 n TRANSGENDER RIGHTS p. 44

PROFILE

Appropriate, not

Mtis artist mixes Indigenous heritage with high fashion

by Blair Mlotek
MTIS ARTIST Christi Belcourts floral design
work began when she decided to paint a
pair of mukluks. Since then, her art has been
featured in numerous galleries and, most
recently, as a part of a 2016 collection for
Italian fashion house Valentino, as well as on
the Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am medals.
Belcourt laughs as she describes her first
painting on mukluks as really bad. This
spurred her journey to learn as much as she
could about plants and the traditional beadwork of Mtis and First Nation women. It

became almost an obsession, she says.

In 2000, Belcourt quit her job to pursue art
full time. Three years later, the Scarborough
native built a house on the north shore of
Lake Huron. Being surrounded by nature
influences Belcourts work, as she became a
student to the plants around [her].
The beadwork that inspires her floral
paintings represents a way for the Mtis people to stay close to their cultural identity. For
the past 15 years, Belcourt has tried to stay
true to this idea by transferring that artistry

Photo by HYUNGCHOEL PARK (courtesy New Sun Conference)

n CHRISTI BELCOURT WITH HER PAINTING,

MY HEART IS BEAUTIFUL

to canvas with painted dots. Her art also

speaks to the importance of the earth. It
blows my mind, the beauty of the earth, she
says. Its worth protecting.
When Belcourt was approached by
Valentinos designers, Maria Grazia Chiuri
and Pierpaolo Piccioli, she was surprised
and flattered. She is thrilled beyond words
at the pieces that came out of her first fashion-label collaboration, calling the 11 pieces
they worked on together enchanting. The
designswhich range from long and luxurious dresses to skirts and jackets, and a crop
top and short setare all intricately designed,
bringing together Valentinos luxurious style
and Belcourts traditionally-inspired floral
paintings.
Although high fashion and First Nations
culture seem worlds apart, they come
September/October 2015 | THIS.ORG 37

arts & ideas

together effortlessly in this line. Belcourt
speaks of one fascinating piece in the collection, a sheer black dress that gracefully falls
to the ground, her floral work adorning the
entire piece. Belcourt speaks of the model
pictured as looking like she stepped right out
of the forest. She loves how this connection
between human and the environment was
captured so beautifully, given that so many of
us live in urban areas and are removed from
nature.
The design for the medal for the Pan Am
Games medal was a longer process, given
the fact that Belcourt, the Pan Am, and
Parapan Am committees, as well as the Royal
Canadian Mint, had to agree on the message.
Belcourts symbolic water-inspired image is
two-fold: representing what connects us as
humans around the planet, as well being what
the athletes need to replenish themselves and
continue their sport. When asked about the
message of diversity that is part of the medals
design, Belcourt says that she doesnt think of
countries and borders, but rather in terms of
human beings and what brings us together.
The protection of water, the life-blood of
the earth, is apparent in both these projects.
Water Song, the painting that the Valentino
pieces were taken from, is an ode to water,
which is sacred to many Indigenous nations.
It is meant to show that we must protect our
threatened water sources, a plight which,
according to Belcourtwho isnt afraid to
fight for what she believes in isnt right.

n A BELCOURT-INSPIRED
VALENTINO DRESS

n OLD MAN LUEDECKE

MUSIC

Family songs

Old Man Luedecke sings about fatherhood

in Domestic Eccentric
NOVA SCOTIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER and banjo player Old Man Luedecke has become a
household name in the folk and bluegrass world. With two Juno awards and countless other
accolades already to his name, it appears as if Chris Luedeckes new album, Domestic Eccentric,
is on the same track.
Luedeckes family lifehes the father of four-year-old twin girls and another two-yearoldinspired the name and the music for the album. Weve had a crazy existence of comings
and goings and babies growing into toddlers over the last few years, he says. I wrote about
the place I live in. The place I live felt right and brought my musical life and family life together
in a beautiful way.
Luedecke says he tries to write songs that make him hum. Theyre songs I want to play
for people because they seem true and unique and fresh, he says. It so happens that what Im
into is the family at the momentI cant get away from it and I surrendered to the desire to
explore this one thing rather than limiting what I had to say about it to one or two eccentrically
domestic songs.
Domestic Eccentric was recorded in March with bluegrass Grammy winner and producer
Tim OBrien in a studio Luedecke built in the woods behind his rural Nova Scotia house. We
played the songs there for about a week, he says. No headphones just listening to each other
and playing. It seemed like the natural place to make it. CLAIRE FOX

38 THIS.ORG|September/October 2015

Photo courtesy Valentino / Photo by SCOTT MUNN