Thank you so much for speaking with us today, Coco. To start, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Coco. I was born and raised in Vancouver. I’ve done art all my life. I’d say it’s the most important thing in my life.
Reading through your artist statement and looking at your portfolio, I couldn’t help but notice the wide variety of disciplines you work in; traditional beadwork, make-up artistry, fashion design, and acrylic painting. I’m wondering if there’s a specific sensibility that informs your approach to these different mediums.
I like to work with both the contemporary and traditional in my art. It’s a reflection of who I am – an Indigenous person living in Vancouver. Lots of artists like to work in one medium, but I’ve always found myself working in multiple disciplines. I don’t think I could work in one medium for the rest of my life.
You started off by saying that art is the most important thing in your life, so it doesn’t surprise me that you don’t limit yourself to a single practice or genre, when there’s so many different ways to express yourself as an artist. How do you find or navigate that balance between the contemporary and traditional in your art?
I feel like it comes naturally to me. A big part of my Indigenous identity and culture is using your imagination, and seeing life in a more conceptual way. So my artistic perspective has developed very naturally. I like to add my culture to pieces that might seem more contemporary. A lot of forms of our art need to be preserved; people don’t know how to make these traditional designs. So having the contemporary and traditional together in art is a kind of preservation.
And a way to honor those traditions as well. You said things come to you naturally; what does it look like when you’re starting a new project or piece of art? What’s that process like for you?
It depends on what I’m working on. A particular project might take a whole season. I may plan out something for the winter, and that will take a long time. For example, a project I’m working on right now is focused on themes and topics around bullying. I’m a survivor—I was bullied at my school in Vancouver for being one of the only native kids. So I want this project to highlight bullying and create more awareness about it. A project like this involves a lot more planning. I have a notebook filled with sketches and written descriptions. What’s great about being Indigenous is that we have so many things that can help us in life, and especially with art. We believe in being close to and in nature. This project is very conceptual, but I’m also telling my story, and so I can sit out in nature and tell the tree my story.
Right. So there’s all these different ways your artistic process can be supported.
Yeah! It’s like meditating. Meditation is a part of my process.
Some of your most recent pieces have been acrylic paintings that experiment with surrealism. What drew you in that direction?
I like what it offers as a storytelling tool. You have a subject or a character that you want to break up, and can see how their different parts feel. You can play around with all sorts of images. If you’re doing something solely based in reality, you don’t have as many ways to present it. So surrealism offers something more imaginative.
And more freedom, yeah. Are there any artists who are inspiring you right now?
My favorite artist actually, Annie Pootoogook. Her work is mostly illustrations and paintings. Without any words, her art tells stories.
Speaking of stories and storytelling, maybe you can talk a bit more about the anti-bullying project you mentioned earlier.
The project comes from my experience with bullying, but also the history of residential schools. I really believe that Indigenous students should not be mistreated in schools anymore. It’s 2024, right? My mom is a residential school survivor, and I have many family members who went to residential schools, so it hits home for me. I wanted to create something that will bring awareness to bullying, and the fact it’s still happening. What I want to do is a beadwork piece with a canvas background. I’d bead panels of images in my style of Indigenous students and what their journey through school looks like, how they relate to people, and how sometimes they’re not accepted. We don’t fit in. It’s in its early stage now, I’m just doing sketches. I want to bring a healing aspect to the story.
To close things out, I wanted to ask about the challenges you face as an artist in Vancouver today.
The main challenge for me is that I was self-taught. That’s why it’s so important for me to be in a studio and be able to meet and talk to other artists. I didn’t grow up with a mentor to teach me, you know, “here are the steps to become a successful artist.” So it’s good to see other artists here and connect with them. I share this studio with Jacqueline Quewezance, and we work together. So the challenge is just that there’s no manual or guide to follow to become a successful artist. I also work another job, cleaning, on the side in order to support my art. As someone who grew up as a poor kid in East Van, I don’t really have my family to fall back on if this doesn’t work out. I only have myself to depend on.
You mentioned again how you were self-taught. Why did you pursue art in the first place? What inspired you to teach yourself?
I come from a very creative family. If you were creative, you were encouraged. Ever since I could hold a pencil, my mom has been saving everything I’ve ever made. When I was a kid, I would watch Bob Ross too. I’d paint along with him every Saturday morning. And my mom saved every painting.
It sounds like your mom and Bob Ross did some of that mentoring.
Yeah. I want to say too, our family came to Vancouver in the 1960s, from Saskatchewan. We’re Cree, and I grew up feeling disconnected from my culture. So when I got older, I wanted to learn more about that side of me. I only got into beading when I was 19. It’s not something you can learn in an hour. I spent a whole year learning. It’s not easy. So yeah, self-taught.
Thanks so much for speaking with me today.
Thank you.