Art, photography, and culture are three of my greatest passions. Photography being a more recent passion. I’m no means a ‘professional’ or have any formal training in photography, however, as a beginner with a curious heart, I’m drawn and open to learning from everyone and everything that’s available to me.
Lately, my greatest inspiration has been focused on photographing my art on people. Since a young age I’ve always been very observant, and so by the time I was given a camera I wanted to capture it all. I would try to notice small bits of beauty in every person and place I visited.
In many ways, photography has also been a creative extension to my current full time job – jewellery artist. It has given me the opportunity to have a voice and a vision. Similar to my experience with jewellery, It has been somewhat of a guide for me to further explore and understand my culture while inspiring and stimulating curiosity and wonder for others. For example, caribou upholds strong value and importance to my culture as it is one of the animals that provides food and material for clothing and accessories. I use this material in a lot of my artwork in addition to porcupine quills which is the most common and traditional form of adornment before beads were introduced. In a similar way, photography became another form of outlet in which I could understand and appreciate the beauty of culture and the people around me. My trips to northern communities such as Inuvik during GNAF and bush life in Norman Wells, NT with my auntie Ida and uncle David were all adventures and discoveries i’ve captured on camera for myself, and for others to visually experience some of its unique beauty.
People are probably my favourite thing to photograph because I love the idea of instilling confidence and bringing forth each individuals beauty. I also love the idea of capturing people and art that show a connection to a part of ancestry intertwined in a modern setting or style. I’ve always believed our roots are an important part of our identity, and being able to incorporate both worlds – the traditional and modern- is something that keeps me grounded yet continually growing.
– caroline blechert
tea&bannock 
Reblogged this on culturalwellbeing and commented:
Making meaning of culture, identity and wellbeing in and through the arts… tracing cultural wellbeing through the work of caroline blechert, via the blog ‘Tea & Bannock’.
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