About —
Artist Catherine Boivin has been selected by Marie-Claude Néquado, the Centre d’amitié autochtone and the Musée d’art de Joliette to create the next mural, which will be presented for 2 years at the MAJ. It is through the theme of transmission that she has chosen to address the question of reparation and resilience, which were also at the heart of the previous murals, Mackwisiwin [Strength] by Eruoma Awashish and Mirwatisiwin [Healing] by Marie-Claude Néquado, created in memory of the death of Joyce Echaquan. In this new work, Boivin takes a contemporary look at her Atikamekw culture and how it has been passed down from generation to generation among women. She is interested in the legacies of knowledge linked to the land, to plants and their healing potential, to their representation through the ornamentation of clothing or moccasins, and to the gesture of making these garments. Knowledge and savoir-faire are intertwined here like so many possible transmissions of native cultures, revealed in the work with raw materials and plant matter, derived from the earth and intrinsically connected to the territory, as to the body. In Atikamekw, the expression “in your blood” is used to describe transmission, the act of remembering. Through her work, the artist pays tribute to this heritage and to the memory of her ancestors that circulates within her, which she in turn can bequeath and reinterpret.
The unveiling of Catherine Boivin’s new mural, Ke miritan [What I will give you], will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, during the Musée d’art de Joliette’s Fall opening.
Biography —
Strongly inspired by the Atikamekw culture, the work of Catherine Boivin opens reflections on current events, modernity, and history. The artist addresses themes particularly relevant to Indigenous peoples, such as the role of women, beauty standards, forced sterilizations, land occupation, and colonialism. In doing so, Catherine Boivin deconstructs stereotypical views (both positive and negative) and offers a personal and contemporary interpretation of her culture. A fan of running, weightlifting and sports, the artist deepens her understanding of corporeality by questioning how physical endurance is embodied in cultural practices, from nomadism to the present day. She works with painting, sculpture, and performance while exploring mediums such as video, sound, and digital drawing. Through her performances, the artist creates her own healing rituals and performs acts to radiate resilience onto wounds.
Originally from the Wemotaci community, Catherine Boivin is an Atikamekw Nehirowisiw living in the Abenaki community of Odanak. She notably participated in the group exhibition De tabac et de foin d’odeur. Là où sont nos rêves (2019, Musée de Joliette). First presented at daphne, an autonomously managed Indigenous art center (2022, Tio’tia:ke /Montreal), Nikotwaso was her first solo exhibition. Since 2022, she has been a member of the board of directors of Wapikoni Mobile. As a marathon runner, a fancy shawl dancer, a speaker, and an activist, Catherine Boivin juggles several roles, including that of a content creator, to raise awareness about Indigenous issues on social media.
This mural is a co-production of the Musée d’art de Joliette and the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudière.
Image in the banner :
© Catherine Boivin