Where Are They Now: Darcie Bernhardt
Over the winter holidays, we caught up with Inuit Futures Alumni Darcie Bernhardt, to learn more about what she has been up to since graduating from NSCAD University in 2019.
Darcie currently works full time out of her art studio in Halifax’s Army Navy Store, spending her time preparing for upcoming commissions and exhibitions in 2021. Over the past year, Darcie had several major projects on the go. In October 2020, Darcie and fellow Inuit Futures Alumni Tom Mcleod screened their short film Greed Story at ImagineNative Film Festival. Darcie credited Inuit Futures for connecting her and fellow Illiniaqtuk Tom in 2018 at the IF Annual Gathering. “Tom and I are from similar communities and didn’t talk until we met [through] Inuit Futures”
Darcie in her studio with her painting Nungki. Image courtesy of Darcie Bernhardt.
Alongside these projects, Darcie was the recipient of several awards and distinctions in 2020, including being noted as one of RBC’s Emerging Artists in October 2020, and winning the Indigenous Artist Recognition Award from Arts Nova Scotia in November.
Darcie’s painting hanging in the RBC’s Art Collection in London, England. Image courtesy of Jonathan Bassett
Darcie’s favourite project from this past year was a short film created with her partner Carmel Farahbakhsh titled Nanuk & Bibi, which debuted in October at Nocturne: Art at Night, Halifax. Nanuk & Bibi imagines an alternate universe created through hand-drawn projections and sonic backdrop where the artists' grandmothers are restored to explore a healing friendship through cultural and queered ritual. This work explores an element that weaves throughout all of Darcie’s art practice: the ever-changing nature of memory.
Still from Nanuk & Bibi by Darcie Bernhardt and Carmel Farahbakhsh. Image Courtesy of Darcie Bernhardt.
Darcie’s home of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories is central/important to her art practice. When starting her career, it was formative for Darcie to see others from her community represented in the arts scene. She draws from her childhood experience to create the content of her artwork and says that her grandmother is one of her biggest artistic inspirations. Darcie describes memory as being intergenerational, and she aims to show this through her work. The evolution of memory through recollection, and how we can rewrite our own memories by remembering them. Similar to her process of painting, the picture is constantly changing. Darcie deliberately leaves areas of the canvas blank as she works, to represent fractions of memory yet to be completed. It is only when the painting feels right when she decides that the painting is finished.
“Taking trips outside of my community made me realize how special my community is, and helped me realize that my perspective is important. Even though I am away from home, I still feel connected.”
Part of Darcie’s commission for the Yukon North Slope project. Image courtesy of Darcie Bernhardt.
Darcie’s work can be seen in Worn Inward, a travelling group exhibition which has its next stop at the QEII Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, NL from February 18th to April 15th, 2021.
In 2021, Darcie has plans for a Q&A session with ImagineNative on the 26th of January, 2021 about Greed Story. As well, Darcie will be working with ImagineNative to host a series/number of/several art tutorial videos. She has also been commissioned to create illustrations for the Yukon North Slope project, which will be released online in 2021.
Darcie encourages young Inuit artists to follow their passions, and take advantage of opportunities to travel outside of their communities. “For me, taking trips outside of my community made me realize how special my community is, and helped me realize that my perspective is important. Even though I am away from home, I still feel connected.”
To learn more about Darcie’s involvement with Inuit Futures as an Illiniaqtuk, visit our profiles page.
If you are interested in becoming one of our Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuit, please visit our contact page to get in touch.