Breathe Opening Reception and Artist Talk with Nathalie Bertin

Nathalie Bertin

Nathalie Bertin is a multi-disciplinary artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada with documented roots in Nipissing, Michilimakinac & Trois Rivieres. She is of Métis, French and Algonquin ancestry. 

Bertin’s art style is often described as luminescent, energetic, bold and colourful. A self-confessed “colour junkie,” she is inspired by the way light filters through stained glass windows, the layering of colours in printing processes, Woodland artists and the northern European masters. Nathalie’s beadwork style combines traditional designs from her various ancestries, creating a style unique to her identity. She also mixes other mediums into her beadwork such as silk embroidery, quills and fish scales in innovative ways. As a whole, her beadwork has a contemporary feel with a distinct nod to those who came before her. 

In 2020, Bertin co-created “Breathe. A collection of traditionally crafted masks demonstrating resiliency through 21st century pandemic” with friend and artisan Lisa Shepherd. The project started as a Facebook group for the purpose of helping artists work through emotions brought on pandemic. It has been featured in three CBC articles, a CBC Arts documentary and exhibitions booked for 2021 in Canada and the US. A school program has also been developed in collaboration with First Nations, Metis and Inuit Education Lead Colinda Clyne. The project also allowed provided income to many artists from collectors, including for Bertin. Some of her masks can be found in private collections, in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum and the government of Canada.