Stolen Sister — Gwen Monnet
STOLEN SISTER
This fabric sculpture was created for Indigenous Education School District 71 to be a part of an ongoing project to create awareness for our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+.
The idea was to create a 3-D version for impact and personalize the dresses to represent different Indigenous groups. As I am Metis, my dress is adorned with a sash and floral pattern to honour the women and girls of my culture.
GWEN MONNET | BIOGRAPHY
I was born in Comox to a large family of Métis heritage. My ancestors on my Father’s side are from Fort Chipewyan and Scotland, and from Wales on my Mother’s side.
I have managed to live my life doing what I love the most, most of the time. This usually involves a happy mix of art, community, travel and children.
Art has always been an integral part of my life. Historically, the women in my family were known for their beautiful beading and sewing skills, I suppose that became part of my identity early on. I do not have much in the way of formal training. I was fortunate to have encouraging art teachers along the way which included Brian Scott and Don Yeomans.
I love simple lines and bold colors, most of my past works include playful cartoon animals. I have also collaborated on large works in a few of our local schools. More recently, I have been using and building on the floral designs of my grandmother and have been exploring different mediums such as beadwork, soap stone carving, fabric sculpture and painting on drums.
Thank you, Tansi
Comox Valley MIKI’SIW Metis Association
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
Métis Nation British Columbia – Ministries
NATIONAL WEEK FOR ACTION FOR MMIWG2S | MAY 1 – 7, 2023
RED DRESS DAY | MAY 5, 2023
Honours the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, 2 spirit, and gender diverse people in Canada by encouraging learning and building awareness to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, 2 spirit, and gender diverse people.
