Prime Minister Mark Carney visiting us at Harbourfront Centre
Photo credit
Becca Gregory (She/Her)
Social Media Marketing Specialist
Biography
Artist Statement: Tracey-Mae Chambers
My artistic practice is deeply rooted in a personal journey of self-discovery, identity, and connection. As an adopted individual, my early life was marked by a sense of displacement and a search for belonging. The discovery of my birth family and Métis ancestry was a transformative experience that solidified my identity as a proud, active citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. This heritage is the central wellspring of my work.
Since July 2021, I have been dedicated to the ambitious #hopeandhealingcanada project, creating and installing over 180 site-specific fibre art pieces. These installations have been placed at significant locations across the country, including residential school historical sites, museums, and public spaces. The core mission of this ongoing project is to bridge the historical and cultural divide between settlers and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. By creating art that is approachable and non-confrontational, I aim to facilitate critical conversations vital to decolonization and reconciliation efforts in Canada. I continue this work both through new installations and by creating weavings from the fibres that have traveled across the country as part of the original project.
In September 2024, my dedication to this work was recognized when I was honored to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal from Governor General Mary Simon. This distinguished accolade acknowledged my efforts to foster understanding and dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples through public art that challenges conventional perspectives and decolonizes shared spaces.
Currently, I am serving as an Artist in Residence at Harbourfront Centre, developing a poignant new body of work that addresses Canada's devastating opioid crisis. This project is a response to societal grief and the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health and addiction—an issue that became devastatingly personal when my beloved 23-year-old son, Parker, was tragically among the 216 opioid-related deaths recorded in Ontario in February 2023. While I know art cannot solve this immense crisis, my work serves as an unyielding visual reminder of its scale and the fact that no one is immune. This forthcoming work will function as a powerful memorial to those lost, aspiring to evoke empathy, encourage open dialogue, and break the surrounding silence and discomfort.
My artistic practice is deeply rooted in a personal journey of self-discovery, identity, and connection. As an adopted individual, my early life was marked by a sense of displacement and a search for belonging. The discovery of my birth family and Métis ancestry was a transformative experience that solidified my identity as a proud, active citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. This heritage is the central wellspring of my work.
Since July 2021, I have been dedicated to the ambitious #hopeandhealingcanada project, creating and installing over 180 site-specific fibre art pieces. These installations have been placed at significant locations across the country, including residential school historical sites, museums, and public spaces. The core mission of this ongoing project is to bridge the historical and cultural divide between settlers and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. By creating art that is approachable and non-confrontational, I aim to facilitate critical conversations vital to decolonization and reconciliation efforts in Canada. I continue this work both through new installations and by creating weavings from the fibres that have traveled across the country as part of the original project.
In September 2024, my dedication to this work was recognized when I was honored to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal from Governor General Mary Simon. This distinguished accolade acknowledged my efforts to foster understanding and dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples through public art that challenges conventional perspectives and decolonizes shared spaces.
Currently, I am serving as an Artist in Residence at Harbourfront Centre, developing a poignant new body of work that addresses Canada's devastating opioid crisis. This project is a response to societal grief and the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health and addiction—an issue that became devastatingly personal when my beloved 23-year-old son, Parker, was tragically among the 216 opioid-related deaths recorded in Ontario in February 2023. While I know art cannot solve this immense crisis, my work serves as an unyielding visual reminder of its scale and the fact that no one is immune. This forthcoming work will function as a powerful memorial to those lost, aspiring to evoke empathy, encourage open dialogue, and break the surrounding silence and discomfort.