Ruth Cuthand's Beadwork Exposes Hard-to-See Realities

Visual artist Ruth Cuthand, a Plains Cree artist, is celebrated in the exhibition "mīgisak mīgoh/Beads in the Blood: A Ruth Cuthand Retrospective" at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. This extensive display features works from the last four decades, encompassing paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, installations, video, and her signature beadwork.

Cuthand's art confronts challenging realities. Works like "Don't Breathe, Don't Drink" (2016) utilize intricate beadwork to depict pathogens found in Canadian First Nations' drinking water. Another piece, "Attawapiskat," uses beaded floral patterns to represent the black mould prevalent in reserve housing, a consequence of the housing crisis.

The exhibition also highlights Cuthand's "Trading Series" (2007), which uses beadwork to illustrate diseases introduced by European settlers, such as cholera and smallpox. Her "Cardston, Alberta" (2005-2006) paintings integrate racist language from the Book of Mormon into familiar scenes.

More recent works, like the "Brain Scans" series (2023), translate neurological evidence of mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD into luminous beaded images. These pieces aim to make mental illness visible and tangible, countering the notion that it is imaginary.

Earlier works, including paintings inspired by Ghost Dance regalia, delve into historical trauma. Pieces like "Not My Land, You Don't" (1986) and "Dance Little Horsie Dance" (1984) reference significant events like the murder of Sitting Bull and the subsequent Wounded Knee massacre, connecting past narratives to the present.

Curator Felicia Gay emphasizes Cuthand's ability to make the imperceptible tangible and beautiful, noting how the artist's work, particularly her exploration of ADHD, aligns with Indigenous conceptions of time as fluid and cyclical. The retrospective serves as a powerful reminder of ancestral connections and enduring stories.