About —
Artist Catherine Boivin was selected by Marie-Claude Néquado, the Centre d’amitié autochtone, and the Musée d’art de Joliette (MAJ) to create this mural, which will be displayed for the next two years. The theme of transmission was chosen to address the issue of reparation and resilience, which were also at the heart of the two previous murals, Mackwisiwin [Strength] by Eruoma Awashish, and Mirwatisiwin [Healing] by Marie-Claude Néquado, in memory of Joyce Echaquan. For this new work, Boivin offers a contemporary look at Atikamekw culture and its transmission from generation to generation. In this digital collage, Boivin stands with other female members of her family: her daughter, mother, and grandmother. The purple line represents the transfer of her ancestral heritage, much like the plant motif stencils that were previously hers. Boivin is interested in the legacy of knowledge that is linked to the land, to plants and their healing potential, to how they are represented in the decoration of clothing or moccasins, and to the act of making these clothes. Knowledge and craftsmanship are intertwined here as some of the many ways of passing on Indigenous cultures, as evidenced in the transformation of raw materials and plant matter, grown in the land and intrinsically linked to both territory and body. In Atikamekw, the expression “in your blood” refers to this transmission, to the act of remembering. Through her work, Boivin pays tribute to this heritage and to the memory of her ancestors that runs through her and that she, in turn, will pass on and reinterpret.
The unveiling of Catherine Boivin’s new mural, Ke miritan [What I will give you], took place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, during the Musée d’art de Joliette’s Autumn opening.
Booklet
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.
Thanks to our partners:
Joliette halte culturelle
Gabriel Ste-Marie, Member for Joliette in the House of Commons
Municipalité de Saint-Donat
François Legault, Prime Minister of Québec
Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism of Québec and Minister Responsible for the Lanaudière Region
Ian Lafrenière, Minister Responsible for Relations with the First Nations and the Inuit of Quebec
Images in the banner :
Views from the exhibition at the Musée d’art de Joliette, 2024. Photo: Romain Guilbault