Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓽᐃᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau
Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓽᐃᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau
Telling Stories Through Art
“My hands do the speaking”
Arseneau’s work Mistahi Maskwa. Courtesy of the artist.
A Nehiyaw Métis visual artist, Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓽᐃᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau (she/her) creates work to effect social change. She describes her work as “evocative of storytelling.” It asks audiences to consider “current social and environmental issues.” She educates from an Indigenous perspective, counteracting stereotypes and allowing audiences to engage with issues that affect Indigenous peoples from new perspectives. A talented, multi-media artist, Arseneau reclaims her displaced heritage and language through wood carving, beadwork and digital art.
On her mother’s side, Arseneau is Cree, and on her father’s side, Métis, but she was born far from her family’s traditional territories. The significance of the place and culture she was raised in is an integral part of her story and her artwork. She was accepted into the Dakelh culture and was adopted Luk sil loo Clan, and she trained with Master Carver Xwalacktun of the Squamish Nation. Both the Dakelh and Squamish are indigenous to what is now British Columbia, where Arseneau was raised.
Artmaking is Arseneau’s voice. She says, “My hands do the speaking as they create the pieces I make. Using everything I am given, like my kohkoms before me.” Through artmaking, she speaks out into the world her experiences, while asking the world to consider more deeply the histories of her people and Indigenous peoples more broadly. She does this through stories.
“I think bringing my culture forward and making it more visible is really important because it's always been invisible. [W]hen you meet somebody, the first thing you do is you tell them your story. That’s all that I’m doing. I’m telling my story and this is how I do it - by paint on canvas on glass on rawhide.”
“I think bringing my culture forward and making it more visible is really important because it's always been invisible.”
Arseneau’s work Every Bead a Breath. Courtesy of the artist.
Arseneau is an innovative artist who experiments with unique media and techniques to give her stories voice: “I create because I love to bring something new into this world. I do painting on glass. The reason I do it is because I haven’t seen it before. You don’t see Native stories or Native images on glass. My work is all about stories. We are our stories we hear and tell each other, this is our world. My culture puts emphasis on stories, now I’m trying to tell them to you in a bright, colourful and contemporary way. This is my language, and these are my stories.”
“My work is all about stories. We are our stories we hear and tell each other, this is our world…This is my language, and these are my stories.”
Arseneau first met Carrie Moran McCleary through Twitter about four years ago. Through their relationship, she joined Bead Night. She says, “I love bead night and how I'm accepted into the group by all the amazing artists who attend.” As much as she gains from being part of the group, she also gives back through her experience as an artist and an entrepreneur and as a mentor. Fellow artist Salisha Old Bull met Adele on bead night, and, when she moved to Vancouver, where Arseneau previously lived, they were able to spend time together. Arseneau supported Old Bull as an artist. Old Bull reflects on the relationship: “We spent time together, and she has a lot of business experience. She flourishes and fosters her business relationships, and she is really good at it. She is next level! She took me in, and when she moved from Vancouver, she offloaded a couple things to me, like a class where I teach watercolor, and that became an ongoing opportunity for me.” Being a mentor to artists who are beginning their careers is important to Arseneau, and the work she puts into those relationships helps pave the way for other Indigenous artists.
Arseneau’s work Steel Free. Courtesy of the artist.
As Arseneau herself describes, her art is both a story and an invitation: “I want to be able to tell a story. I want it [my art] to be able to educate. I want it to be able to bring an awareness and speak to the history of this country and the people who are Indigenous to it.” Many of the other artists on Bead Night cite her as an example of a successful Indigenous artist who is widely exhibited and is making a difference through her work. As an artist, a mentor, and a friend, Arseneau makes an indelible impact on those around her. She says, “I’m honestly trying to effect change in this world in my own way and this [making art] is how I see myself doing it.” The world is richer for the change she inspires, and the stories that she so generously shares with us all.
Artist Biography
A Nehiyaw Métis visual artist, I create work to engage audiences to consider current social and environmental issues. My intent is to educate from an indigenous perspective and counteract current stereotypes. I use wood carving, beadwork, hide tanning, and digital art to reclaim my displaced heritage and language. Born in BC, far from my family’s traditional territories, the significance of the place and culture I was raised in is an integral part of my story. I was adopted Luk sil loo Clan, Dakelh and trained with Master Carver, Xwalacktun of Squamish Nation. I have exhibited in many exhibitions and also mentored new artists.