Elmugwadasik/Lamèque
The head is turned sideways
Artists
Alexandre Robichaud
Tammy Francis
Lamèque
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Twin sister of Miscou.
The island of Lamèque in Mi’kmaq Elmugwadasik means: the head is turned sideways.
The only thing missing is the eagle feather.
We also talk about the tidal flows.
And there was a Mi’kmaq camp at the Pointe Alexandre.
Nicolas Denys, the long beard, who stays there from 1645, writes: « (...) the land is sandy and keeps on being good.»
In the surroundings, the fishing grounds: of Miscou, of the Americans, the Orphans, to Pierre, to Bradelle, to Bennett. The dangers of the great sand bar.
Region of blackberries and of points, the one of petit Jean, to Alexander, to canoe and his island of Capri. Also the clay of different colours, to paint boats and houses at the Pointe to paint.
Time of the strolling teachers, of peat bogs and salt marshes.
At one time, the yoke of the native of Jersey, the Fruing.
Then the dedication of the nuns of Jésus-Marie with the convent from 1922.
Also the contests of Gregorian chants.
Tribute to Mgr Chiasson for the cooperative from 1938.
And then the one of fishermen of the island, the Port Royal fish shop.
Festival de la tourbe; the cranberries redden with joy.
The psychedelic church of Sainte Cécile delights with the International Festival of Baroque Music.
Lamèque, the island with two bridges, with black and white spruces and tamaracks.
The nobility in the name of the Charlemagne stream.
The sense of belonging of the islanders, family relationships, marriages.
In Pigeon Hill, the sandstone cliffs sculpt the reception in the caves of hope.
They remember the capstan that was pulling the boats on the shore.
Lamèque, people are real, they have guts.
And nice sails on them to welcome the gusts of wind, wind turbines and surf on the wave.
Alexandre Robichaud
Montréal, Qc.
Originally from Lamèque, New Brunswick, Alexandre Robichaud obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Université de Moncton. In 2007, he received the Grand Prize of the Festival International de Montréal en Art and, in 2006, the Discovery Prize of the same festival. In 2003, he won the grand prize of the Concours des arts visuels de la Francophonie at the Festival des arts visuels en Atlantique. He is currently pursuing his work in visual arts in Montreal.
The work he created for the exhibition Irréductibles racines is inspired by the Mi'kmaq origin of the name "Lamèque". The work is entitled Archipelagos. It is an oil painting with plastic sealant on wood.
His work unfolds in shades of ochre and earth tones; a sort of retranscription of a geographical map with a primitive look tracing the territory of Shippagan-les-Îles.
Tammy Francis
First Nation
Esgenoopetitj, N.B.
She is a visual artist from Esgenoopetitj First Nation in New Brunswick. She has been making traditional clothing (native regalia) for about 12 years.
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One of her great pleasures is to see people dancing in her clothing creations decorated with ribbons and fabric.
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She particularly enjoys using the beautiful eight-pointed star design, which recurs in her creations in different colors: white, red, yellow and black.
Each of her works represents a particular journey into the heart of her culture and spirituality. Most of them are realized with the precious complicity of her mother
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The work she created for the exhibition Irréductibles racines is inspired by the Mi'kmaq origin of the name "Lamèque".