Bre Quirion
brequirion.art
totem is a vertical triptych comprised of a trio of multimedia paintings: Spirit, shadow, and self. From the ground up, these pieces tell the Jungian story of humanity’s path towards individuation — that is, the journey to true realization of self — as it has interwoven with my own path as a two-spirit Otipemisiwak woman. Even though each segment embodies a different stage of my journey, a sense of harmony is still present in the connected colours, materials, and intuitive-minded strategies applied to the making of all three parts.
totem’s rooting piece is Spirit. The titular capitalization is intentional to honour the sacred nature of the beings represented. They are friends as well as guides, animal spirits bearing important teachings that shape who I am in this life. Spirit is the first marker along my path to individuation.
The middle piece, shadow, embodies what is not clearly seen, but felt deep within: the Unknown. This is the turning point of our journey. I, like many minds before me, am drawn inward in search of the commonality we all have within ourselves. We see it in our dreams, in the negative space of life and sleep: the other side of what we show to the world. In creating this abstract painting, I pull away the mask and bring the depths of myself forward. Here, mind and spirit become one.
totem’s crowning piece is self. It is a self-portrait that can be intentionally viewed from multiple perspectives. self is the beginning and end of the journey; the birth of self-actualization, and the embracing of spirit and shadow to create something new.
About
Bre Quirion is a two-spirit, Cree-Michif interdisciplinary artist currently based out of western Canada. She was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia but quickly moved back to her homeland of Manitoba when she was small. Once returned, she grew up on the prairies of White Horse Plains (modernly Pigeon Lake, St. Francois Xavier, Elie, and surrounding towns), and attended high school in Winnipeg. Bre began her university career with the University of Manitoba in 2019, graduating in 2024 with Honours and a promising double-focus in painting and digital design.
Artist Statement
I am an emerging Michif interdisciplinary artist working in self-reflective conceptual, folk, and character art. My mediums of choice include acrylic and oil paint as well as experimental design, with mixed media quickly making a home in my practice.
As a creator, I do not make a habit of front-loading my creation process; that is – I work intuitively with a focus on experience in the immediate present, as opposed to orchestrating detailed plans ahead of time. This particular approach allows me to be more focused on the ideas that arise while I’m in the act of physically creating. In this way, I consider art-making a deeply personal ritual of sorts, where I’m deliberately engaging in conversation with my spirit and seeking visual understanding through my artworks.
My goals involve exploring the crossroads of paint, design, and conceptual art. I am actively seeking new ways to harmonize my eccentric fields of interest in order to reach for more ambitious projects. Most themes that call to me are rooted in matters of identity, duality, nature, & Spirit. Frequent interest also arises from mythology, allegory, and the mystical potential that lies within the Jungian concept of the Great Unknown.