Zig-Zag, 2020 porcupine quills, deer hide, beaver fur, seed beads, sandstone bead,
copper wire, nylon thread
Created by Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé
I created this piece as a response to the theme of representation matters. Not only does the representation of Indigenous art matter within a gallery or institution but so do our voices and stories. One story that is rarely shared is that of the artist’s process of learning and developing new skills. As artists, we often present work that is complete or after we’ve perfected a new skill. Rarely do we present work that shows our progress and the flaws we make when we learn something new.
Zig-Zag marks the very first time I have zig-zagged porcupine quills. Zig- zagging is a very old style of using quills that often-adorned garments. I have always wanted to learn this style of quilling and document my process of learning. Look closely and you can see that with each stitch my technique changed and progressed until I was comfortable with zig- zagging.
“Representation is not only the visible inclusion of Indigenous and Black artists but it is also the inclusion of our voices, our physical selves, and a conscious effort to decolonize artistic space”
About the Artist
Based in Victoria, BC
Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé (b. 1992) is a proud Upper Tanana member of the White River First Nation of Beaver Creek, Yukon and Alaska. Teresa is a mostly self-taught artist however her Grandma Marilyn, an Elder and residential school Survivor, encouraged her to start by providing her with supplies and templates. Teresa primarily works with beads and other natural materials but she also enjoys indigenizing colonial garbage, by adding beads to found objects. In 2016, she received an Emerging Artist Scholarship from the YVR Art Foundation and in 2019 she received her second. Teresa currently resides in Lekwungen Territory where she is hoping to further establish her career as an emerging artist and curator.