INFO
Artist Biography
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.
A graduate of McGill University (BSc - Plant Science), Daphne’s work lies at the intersection of art and science. She is known for combining plant material, porcupine quills, women’s traditional handwork and high-resolution digital tools to create art that celebrates her Indigenous heritage and honour plants and animals as kin.
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 practices to create a large body of work that has been exhibited at numerous solo and group shows, including at the Remai Modern (Saskatoon), MAI (Montréal), Dunlop Art Gallery (Regina), Legacy Art Gallery (Victoria) and Art Windsor-Essex (Windsor). Her art is held in various public and private collections across the country.
She is grateful to have been supported in her art practice by awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, the First Peoples Cultural Council of BC and the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec. In 2022 she was nominated for the Sobey Art Award in recognition of her bold and innovative body of work.
Daphne is passionate about community engagement; educational tours and art-making workshops form an integral part of each of her exhibitions. She sees herself as a snow plough - claiming space, raising awareness and helping to clear the way for the next generation of amazing young Métis artists.
Additional Links
Link to Artist Statement here.
Link to CV here.
Link to Acknowledgements & Credits here.