Natural Movement

This screen print is a reimagining of Dee’s acrylic painting, Natural Movement. The original painting is on a sculptural, equilateral, square-shaped wood panel with a smaller equilateral square cut out of it. The painting Natural Movement was created in collaboration with the 2018 edition of send+receive: a festival of sound and shown at Parlour Coffee.

For her inspiration, Dee reflected on the sounds associated with her runs through one of her favourite Winnipeg locations, FortWhyte Alive. For instance, Dee visually represented the sound of her breath changing as her effort increased or decreased through elevation variation. She also painted the sounds of each foot making contact with the ground in a repeating pattern.

This version of Natural Movement is a collaborative work with Ali James (Studio Technician) from Martha Street Studio. To reimagine Dee’s painting in the language of screen printing, Ali created meticulous mixtures of ink and experimented with different screen printing techniques to achieve a near-perfect translation.

Dee Barsy is a painter and Visual Arts Educator raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and currently living in Montréal, Quebec. In 2013, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Manitoba. In 2016, she completed an Educational Assistant (EA) Diploma at the University of Winnipeg’s Professional, Applied and Continuing Education (PACE). In 2016, she completed the Indigenous Women in Leadership course at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Currently, Dee is a student enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts degree program at Concordia University in Montréal, QC.

In September 2017, Dee was commissioned to create artworks for the INSURGENCE/RESURGENCE exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The exhibition featured the work of 29 emerging to established contemporary Indigenous artists from across Canada. In September 2019, Dee had her first solo exhibition at Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery, These Tiny Helpers / Agaashiiwi-wiiji’iweg / Ókik ká yá apisísisicik owícihiwéwak. There, she transformed the gallery space, floor to wall, with a mural featuring abstract representations of various local insects and spiders painted on top of her signature rhythmic lines and blue background.

Dee’s artwork is included in the Global Affairs Visual Art Collection, the collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and many private collections. Additionally, Dee’s vibrant paintings are showcased at various businesses and organizations in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dee has been involved with local and national youth-serving art organizations such as Winnipeg-based Art City Inc. and Montréal-based inPath.