Artist Bio
Brielle Reeves was born in 1998 in Chilliwack, British Columbia, though she now lives and works in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts as a Jewellery and Metals major. Through her beadwork practice, she discusses her experiences as an Indigenous and white individual. Her work has been shown in multiple group exhibitions during the extent of her school career.
Artist Statement
My work is an exploration and declaration of my identity as a mixed Indigenous and white woman. Due to my Indigenous parent growing up without a connection to their culture, I also had very little knowledge of culture and felt estranged from it. As I have been seeking deeper understanding and connection, I recently have incorporated Indigenous beadworking techniques into my practice.
I have found that in modern society when we speak about identity, we often view it as if aspects of identity are simply boxes to be marked off on a sheet and declared to the world as definitive statements. Through my explorations of my own seemingly disjointed identity, I have found that this mode of thinking is from a contemporary colonialist framework that does not allow for the nuanced fluidity that is experienced in life. As such, my work strives to challenge these rigid constructions of identity and instead offer deeper exploration and understanding.
Through my beaded pieces I explore the liminality of being a biracial individual and seeking to find a balance between expressions of identity. I take the common, traditional approaches to Indigenous beading and imbue my contemporary understanding of race and identity into my work. Beaded pieces are often illustrational due to the maneuverability of the small, multi-coloured beads and I use this to my advantage in my work. I use recognizable imagery to interest the viewer, which then invites them to learn more about the pieces and by extension my own story.
According to many Indigenous cultures, beading is medicine. As I fall into the meditative space of stitching each bead onto the felt, I imbue the piece with my thoughts and experiences. This provides opportunities for healing and for mutual understanding between me and the viewer.
Education
2021
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Jewellery and Metals, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Awards and Scholarships
2021
Calgary Hadassah-Wizzo Award, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Board of Governor's Graduating Student Award - Jewellery and Metals, Calgary, Ablerta,Canada
2020
Louise Mckinney Post-Secondary Scholarhsip, Calgary, Ablerta, Canada
Alberta University of the Arts Excellence Award – Jewellery and Metals, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2019
Louise McKinney Post-Secondary Scholarship, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2018
Jason Lang Scholarship, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Exhibitions
2020
Incre-Metal, Room 371, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2019
Second to None: Student Works from JWLM 205, JWLM 220, & JWLM 222, Vortex Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Dainty Display: An Exploration of Filigree, Vortex Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Cabinet Show, Room 528, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2018
First Year Show, Main Mall, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Contact Me
2021
A Dazzling Adieu, https://dazzlingadieu.wixsite.com/my-site
Camp: A Spectacle of Rings, curated by CoAdorn, L.A. Pai Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.