Key Takeaways:
- She captures the spirit of the Mi’kmaw people as well as the raw beauty of nature.
Patricia Bourque, a Mi’kmaw photographer, is one of 30 Indigenous artists whose work will be on display this weekend at P.E.I.’s Indigenous Artisan Christmas Market.
From quill art to beadwork also photo prints, indigenous artists are selling it all. While she is happy for the market, Bourque says her mental health has recently made it challenging to create.
“One of the most important rules that many Indigenous artisans follow is that you have to be in a good place before you work. I’ve been struggling to find a happy place.”
Bourque’s work has been shown at The Guild, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and the Eptek Art & Culture Centre. She has also printed in Senator Brian Francis’ office in Ottawa and the Premier’s on Prince Edward Island. For her efforts, she has received numerous grants and awards.
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Bourque was named one of three Indigenous photographers in Canadian Geographic magazine in 2017. She’ll be featured again soon, this time on a full-page spread. Wyonna Bernard, a Mi’kmaw woman, dressed in full regalia, gazes out at the ocean in the featured image.
“It was more of a feature the first time. On the page, there were three small pictures. But it was everything to me I’m going to have a whole page now, “According to Bourque. Despite this, Bourque continues to doubt herself, frequently comparing her work to that of other photographers.
However, a photograph does not have to be perfect to be significant. “When we look at what we have today, we don’t always appreciate what we have. It’s not quite right. It isn’t good enough, “she said as she wiped her eyes.
Source: CBC News
