Inspired by our 2020 fundraising collaboration with Ruth Cuthand, a limited edition print entitled Covid-19, raising funds for Saskatoon’s Prairie Harm Reduction, AKA has partnered with Catherine Blackburn in the release of a new print from her 2020 performance Unsettle.

Unsettle explores themes of power and reclamation through the duality of Indigenous presence and erasure. Bound by the deep love that Indigenous adornment suggests, this wearable work shifts tactics of erasure into spiritual embodiment; celebrating the ways in which Indigenous bodies refuse to be minimized by the oppressiveness of colonialism.

Prints within the edition of 28 are signed, printed by fine art printers ABC Photo, and available for $125 each. Saskatoon purchasers will be entered into a draw for custom framing donated by The GALLERY / Art Placement.

Through Blackburn’s generous donation proceeds will be donated to Chokecherry Studios and Prairie Harm Reduction. Unsettle is available now.

Catherine Blackburn was born in Patuanak Saskatchewan, of Dene and European ancestry and is a member of the English River First Nation. She is a multidisciplinary artist and jeweller, whose common themes explore Indigenous sovereignty, decolonization and representation, often prompted by personal narratives. Her practice focuses on the mediums of beadwork, sculpture and wearable work. Blackburn’s work has been presented in exhibitions and fashion runways nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of the Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award, a 2019 Sobey Art Award longlist nominee, and recently, one of five artists selected for the prestigious Eitlejorg Contemporary Art Fellowship.