Name/Title
Floral Quillwork 2Entry/Object ID
2026.07.01Description
Michelle Sound (b. 1977 Vancouver, BC; Cree, Métis) is an artist, educator, and mother whose practice explores themes of Indigeneity, land, and cultural revitalization. A member of Wapsewsipi Swan River First Nation in Northern Alberta, Sound's Cree heritage is rooted in Kinuso, Alberta, within Treaty 8 territory. Her Métis lineage traces back to the Buffalo Lake Métis settlement in central Alberta. Born and raised on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xwmƏƟkwƏýƏm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and SƏĺílwƏtaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, she continues to reside and work in Vancouver.
In her recent body of work, Sound has developed a series of cyanotype prints on elk hide, merging traditional materials with photographic processes. These works use animal hide as a ground for cyanotype imagery derived from family photographs, botanicals, and Indigenous medicines such as sage, sweetgrass, and tobacco. By combining sunlight, organic materials, and treated hide, Sound creates layered compositions that function as both visual records and acts of remembrance. The medium allows her to create photographic images without relying on traditional printing methods, enabling her to embed personal and archival imagery directly onto the drum surface in a tactile and materially unified way. She is drawn to cyanotype for its use of natural elements (sunlight, plant matter, and organic hide) which supports her interest in working with natural materials while grounding her work in specific moments and environments.Artwork Details
Medium
Cyanotype on elk and deer hide, thread, suedeDimensions
Height
50.8 cmWidth
72.4 cm