Biographic Notes
Nathalie Bertin (1969) originally hails from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After working as a graphic designer for 20 years, Bertin began showing her art publicly in 2009.
Bertin’s work is often described as luminescent, energetic, bold and colourful. She is also fond of strong shapes and textures. She recently began incorporating elements of her French and Algonquin heritage into her work, including beadwork, furs and other fiber objects, in an exploration of concepts based the Canadian fur trade and her role within it as a modern sustenance hunter.
In June 2010, Bertin was selected as an artist ambassador for the G20 Summit in Toronto, a volunteer position that garnered global media attention for Canadian artists from Muskoka. Her work can be found in collections of the Government of Manitoba, Government of Alberta, Métis Nation of Ontario, corporate organizations and private collectors across Canada, the US, Europe and Africa. She currently works from her home studio in Newmarket, ON and home-away-from-home in Muskoka, ON.
Artist Statment
“My art is influenced as much from the environment around me as it is from my heritage. As an artist with European and First Nations roots, I am inspired by the art of my divergent cultures. My goal is to bring these cultural styles together into a cohesive visual language that is my own.
One of the ways I fulfill this is through the use of the flowers you see in some the works. They are inspired by the floral beadwork that the young Metis and Native girls were taught by the Ursuline nuns in residential schools. But they also serve the dual purpose of allegory in much the same way artists have used flowers for meaning throughout art history – only obvious to those in the know or those who ask questions. ”
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Select Exhibitions
2012
- Artwork showcase (solo), AFAC Rainbow Gallery, Toronto, ON
2011
- Artwork showcase (solo), AFAC Rainbow Gallery, Toronto, ON
- "On Being Métis" (solo exhibition) Aurora Cultural Centre, Aurora, ON
- "On Being Métis" (solo exhibition) The Art Space Gallery, Huntsville, ON
- "HAS Heart" (group) The Art Space Gallery, Huntsville, ON
2010
- "En promenade" (solo exhibition) Southlake Art Gallery, Newmarket, ON
- Solo exhibition of current works, King Historical Society, King Township Museum, King City, ON
- "Eight Back From the Lake", (group) The Art Space, Huntsville Art Society, Huntsville, ON
- G20/G8: Experience Canada (solo showcase) G20 Media Centre, Toronto, ON
2009
- Fall Art Exhibition (group), Muskoka Place Gallery, Port Carling, ON
- Clarington House Thanksgiving Day Art Exhibition (group),
Clarington House, Muskoka, ON
- Thanksgiving Art Exhibition (group), Red Leaves Marriott, Muskoka, ON
- "Vis-A-Vis" Scotiabank Nuit Blanche & Juried Gallery Show (group), Artists Toronto, Arta Gallery, Toronto, ON
- "Harvest Muskoka©" Juried Group Exhibition, Muskoka Place Gallery, Port Carling, ON
- "Spring Forth" Juried Group Exhibition, Raw/vision Gallery, Brandon, MB
Residencies & Public Speaking Engagements
2011
- Artist Talk: "On Being Métis", The Art Space, Huntsville, ON Artist Talk: "On Being Métis", The Aurora Cultural Centre, Aurora, ON
2010
- Artist in Residence "The Art of Métis Flower Patterns" King Museum, King Township, ON
- Artist Ambassador G20/G8 Media Centre, Toronto, ON
- Speaker/Presenter "Arts Council of Muskoka: Revitalizing the Brand and Creating New Revenue" Arts Council of Muskoka AGM, Raymond Hall, Utterson, ON Resident Artist, Aboriginal Day, Sainte-Marie-Among-the-Hurons, Midland, ON
2009, 2010, 2011
- Resident Artist, Metis Day at Discovery Harbour, Penetanguishene, ON
Press
2011
- "On Being Métis: Nathalie Bertin shows at Art Space", by Pamela Steel, Huntsville Forester and Cottage Country Now.ca, June 1, 2011
2010
- "Artist represents Muskoka and Métis community at G20", Métis Voyageur, Fall Métis Nation of Ontario, Page 28
- "Eight Back From the Lake", Weekender-Gravenhurst Edition, Vol. 16, No. 16, Page 37
- "Eight Back From the Lake", Weekender-Gravenhurst Edition, Vol. 16, No. 11, Page 8
- "Vis-A-Vis", Oblique Quarterly, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 2010 (Print & Online)
Memberships
Arts Council of Muskoka
Seguin Arts Council
Huntsville Art Society |
