25 Aug, '23 - 25 Jan, '24
In the Olivia Gallery
As part of her time in the Olivia & Greg Artist-in-Residence Program, Marcy Friesen has completed new pieces and never-before-exhibited artwork in a solo exhibition, NINA. The Cree word meaning “I, me, mine”, Marcy reflects on her influences and inspirations as an artist, creating an intimate experience for viewers to rethink their own connection to how they see themselves.
Marcy Friesen is of Swampy Cree and Welsh ancestry and currently resides on a mixed farm with her family near Carrot River, SK. She comes from a long line of traditional master beaders and talented creative family members. Friesen has always felt the need to create, and started her career with a small business making utilitarian objects such as mitts, hats and mukluks. After visiting an art gallery and working with her mentor, she changed her practice to experimenting with an artisanal craftsmanship that exists outside the traditional spectrum of beauty and utility. Threading through beads, leather, and furs, Friesen draws the viewer into an intimate experience using her honed skills and intuitive sensibilities toward material, colour, and presentation. In Friesen’s practice, the natural and synthetic come together in ways that are inclusive of the contemporary condition, transforming ways of understanding and expectations of cultural production.
