Cree potter Judy Chartrand almost gave up on her lifelong dream of becoming an artist when she was rejected by a prestigious art school in her late 20s.

Fortunately, the Vancouver artist persevered. He is now vying for the $100,000 Sobey Art Award – the highest prize in Canadian art – as a shortlisted nominee selected to represent the Pacific region.

Chartrand is renowned for her sculptures and installations, which have exhibited nationally and internationally at venues such as the Gardiner Museum, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Native Art at the Santa Fe Institute of American Indian Arts.

Her artwork references elements of pop and consumer culture, often using humor to comment on issues such as racism, colonialism, and Canada-First Nations relations.

To get to know the six finalists from across Canada competing for the Sobey Art Award, CBC Arts sent out a questionnaire to each artist. Read on to learn how growing up in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside influenced Chartand, why the artist would love to try her hand at mixology, and how working with clay teaches an important life lesson.

The winner of the 2024 Sobey Art Award will be announced on November 9.

When did you know you were going to be an artist?

I showed artistic ability at the age of four, and by the age of eight, I was skipping breakfast so I could get to school early to paint before school started. I grew up in extreme poverty and family dysfunction, and although I always hoped and dreamed of becoming an artist, I gave it up in my late 20s when my application to a prestigious art school was rejected on the advice that I was submitting a more substantial demand. portfolio rather than just drawings. I wasn’t in the financial position to do that, so I quit and went full time cleaning hotel rooms.

Then, in my 30s, I was blessed to be persuaded by a few First Nations advisors to follow my dream, and I applied and was accepted into a smaller fine arts program at another institution. I didn’t officially call myself an artist until I got my master’s degree and I support myself with my work.

What does art allow you to do?

I was always shy and didn’t have much of a voice. Art gave me a way to visually express what I now know is a very powerful voice. It’s also been a great way to give back to the community by donating work for all levels of fundraising, and more than that, it’s opened up connections with a variety of people I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Is there a question, inquiry or investigation central to your artistic practice? what is it

In my practice, I have always tried to make sense of white racism. I don’t understand how having privilege can make people so twisted in their humanity. I’ve asked what it is, and the only consistent answer I get is that white people are afraid of losing their place in society. I think if you weigh the good and the bad, it’s much easier to live where you can accept others as equals than to be constantly angry and nasty thinking you’re owed more than everyone else. It’s an ongoing query, which I wish it wasn’t.

Why do you practice the discipline you do?

I began my artistic journey in earnest working with clay. I love the malleable qualities of it, where I can create almost anything I can think of. I also appreciate how it forces me to stay focused because clay is not something to rush. Patience and care are needed not only in the construction process, but also in the drying and firing of the work. The lesson all ceramists eventually learn is to not get attached to your work, and when disaster strikes, take a moment to breathe, console yourself, then jump right back in, making changes that hopefully , to end successfully – kind of like the realities. of life.

How does place influence your art?

Growing up in a marginalized neighborhood and being an inner-city Cree in Vancouver has been a big influence on my art. When I was growing up, I lived in a neighborhood that had a large Chinese Canadian population, as well as a thriving black community, along with a microcosm of Japanese Canadians and Italian Canadians. I became very aware of race at a young age – in a good way. But I also learned that once we step outside these fringes, racism can rear its ugly face at any moment.

To perform at your best, what do you absolutely need?

I work best when I can focus on the task at hand. I work worst when there are too many interruptions and demands that pull me away from it.

What was the most impactful work of art – in any medium – that you experienced last year?

That’s hard to answer because there have been more than a few works in the world that have absolutely blown my mind. But because I’m located in the Pacific region of Canada, I’m going to stick with artists from that region and say that the most impactful I’ve experienced online this year has been of Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Wild fire series of paintings. He managed to capture the sheer frightfulness of climate change. His paintings are monumental and will undoubtedly affect anyone who sees them.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you like to do for work?

I’d like to do something creative though…maybe be a mixologist so I can engage in researching historical and contemporary concoctions to test methods to inspire new cocktails. This domain would also fulfill my collecting problem and I would undoubtedly have one of the best bar and glassware collections around.

Can you tell us about the artwork you are exhibiting at the National Gallery of Canada for the Sobey Art Award exhibition?

The exhibition is a survey of the works I have created from the mid-1990s to the present. It shows that I have been consistent in my artistic practice over the years and in expressing my thoughts and experiences with difficult subjects. The artwork reveals my sincerity as well as the kind of humor I use to overcome racial barriers and prejudices.

How does your practice exemplify it?

I am influenced by my surroundings, and the works in the exhibition show the process by which I try to solve problems visually, while taking time out from more sensitive experiences and moving into self-care, where I just have fun – as I would. hope everyone could do to stay healthy.

The winner of the 2024 Sobey Art Award will be announced on November 9 in Ottawa. The Sobey Art Award Exhibition continues at the National Gallery of Canada until April 6, 2025.