Chair

By incorporating traditional Micmac techniques, designs, and materials within a contemporary context, I celebrate my heritage while sharing my personal experiences. With formal education in engineering, business and art, I appreciate all types of making – whether the process is by hand, machine, or organization – and just as my ancestors, I particularly enjoy creating utilitarian objects.

With a nod to industrial design luminary and fellow Cranbrook alumnus Charles Eames, I used Eames shell chairs to showcase the textile that I developed with traditional Micmac design elements. While the pattern references motifs that are now typically applied to clothing with beads, I used thread embroidery to accommodate the fabric’s use as upholstery. As such material shifts have always been embraced by my people, I further highlight the evolving nature and continual innovation of Micmac culture by using an industrial sewing machine to embroider the canvas.