INFO
Artist Biography
Photo by Lina Samoukova
Daphne Boyer is a Canadian visual artist of Métis descent.
Born and raised on the prairies in Saskatchewan, longtime resident of Québec, Daphne currently lives and works on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples of Victoria BC, where she is an active member of the Métis Nation of British Columbia.
Daphne’s First Nations ancestors were Ojibway and Saulteaux women who formed unions with French “coureurs de bois” and “voyageurs” as they pushed west in search of furs. Her Métis ancestors helped found the first Métis nation in the Red River district of what is now called Manitoba. Their family names were: Hamelin; Vandal, Gariépy; Roussin and Beaulieu.
A graduate of McGill University (BSc - Plant Science), Daphne’s work lies at the intersection of art, science and technology. She became a professional artist in 2017.
Daphne recently invented two innovative photo-based digital techniques that mirror the spectacular beading and quillwork her ancestors used to embellish clothing and gear. Like traditional Métis art forms, her techniques are meticulous, technically demanding and time-consuming art practices.
Daphne has used these techniques to produce a large body of work that has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows, including at the Remai Modern (Saskatoon), MAI (Montréal), Dunlop Art Gallery (Regina), Legacy Art Gallery (Victoria), The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland (Calgary) and Art Windsor-Essex (Windsor). In 2022 she was nominated for the Sobey Art Award in recognition of her bold and unique body of work.
She is grateful to have been supported in her art practice by the Canada Council for the Arts, the First Peoples Cultural Council of BC and the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec.
Her art is held in various public and private collections across the country.
Additional Links
Link to Artist Statement here.
Link to CV here.
Link to Acknowledgements & Credits here.