@emilycritchart
Artist Statement:
wetapekksi is the mi’kmaq word for “where my roots (family) are from”. To use the word “wetapekksi” grounds me to the land in my home territory of Ktaqamkuk and acknowledges my histories and relations within Mi’kma’ki. It is also a word that positions family systems in relation to roots that are sprawling deep within the earth.
As theorized by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, our energy and existence as Indigenous people is woven in relation to land “through movement, kinetics or action, our embedded practices and processes of life.” wetapekksi is an exhibition about connecting my embodied knowledges of beading, printmaking, language, and land in relation to my ancestors of Ktaqamkuk.
Print media and textiles are intimate and labour intensive processes I use to transform and transfer L’nu stories. I am drawn to ideas of impressions, mark making, and multiples that are informed by Indigenous lands and actions that expand the theories and conceptions of printmaking.
The foundation of both my artistic and curatorial practice is to consider the political and creative ways Indigenous People’s care for our traditions, kinships, and sovereignties through different modes of storytelling and connecting with land.
As Emily’s project for the FARR program evolves, we will be updating this page to showcase her developments. Check back here and follow us on our social media to catch all the updates.
Here is a sample of some of Emily’s past work.
