Artist Statement
My work aims to speak of realities beyond facades by looking at the origins of the materials invoked, and to create a language of truth and representation.
Je suis fait de Perles responds to all the shame, judgment and lack of respect I have had to endure and still endure as a sex worker. I use visuals of richness, fragility and strange, human-made, feral creatures to elevate this evoked force of the self and its autonomy.
Je suis fait de Perles, projected video and photos of a performance, printed fabric and beaded net (3m x 3m x 4m), 2 min. 50 sec. video, 2023 © Justine Béliveau
Some of my works create specific spaces. In Love Flag, my use of bed sheets, lace and beads creates a simple space of tenderness, away from the negative complexity society gives to love. It is currently in situ above my partner’s bed.
My main go-to material is lint, which I gather from hospital and hotel laundry facilities. I have been playing with lint for two years now, addressing the subject of invisible labour in the healthcare and hospitality industries and in our homes.
Both Lint, Flour, Thread and a Domestic Sparrow and The Mattress allow the lint to attest to its origin and to the labour behind each of its fibres. A week of household lint can fit in the palm of one hand, which is a ridiculously small amount compared to what is present in both artworks. The material is an accumulation of all the necessary tasks required for us to function in today’s world. Both pieces represent these ongoing household chores and caregiving tasks.
The Mattress goes a step further by archiving the history of the object, which bears witness to many stories and experiences as mattresses are the core common feature of hospitals, hotels and homes. This one object creates a many-layered whole containing a multitude of histories.
