2024 ShowOff! Artwork Jaelie Young

Generations

My mother's side of the family is where my indigenous background comes from, and in our culture, female descent is highly respected. The four dolls I sculpted for my ceramic project represent my great-grandmother, my grandma, my mother and me. The dolls include a circular hood and vibrant colours because they are inspired by the parkas that my great-grandmother used to sew. Each doll has a unique carving of a component of nature to which we feel closely connected.  I intentionally left my doll without a recognizable carving since I'm still searching for my spiritual connection.  The purpose of my artwork is to encourage people to share traditions and stories and highlight the importance of connection to heritage to preserve culture for future generations.