Elemental Dreams

My name is Craig Commanda. I’m an Anishinaabe bead-weaver and artist from Kitigan Zibi, in Quebec, Canada. I’d love to tell you the story of what beadwork means to me. I first got into beading back in 2019 when I chose to participate in an Instagram challenge called #beadthisinyourstylechallenge. Little did I know that it was going to be a rabbit hole that I would be sucked into deeply.

Sometime after this, I got introduced to Nico Williams, who is a master Anishinaabe bead weaver and artist from Aamjiwnaang First Nation. They taught me the flat even count peyote and flat triangle techniques, and from there, I expanded my practice into other shapes, and eventually, started to incorporate different techniques and beads in order to further my own personal artistic expression. Lately, I’ve been working in the Contemporary Geometric beadwork field, which is drawing me ever further into it’s maw.

Now, I feel that I’ve arrived at a place where I feel that I can dream new things into reality from my mind’s eye into my hands, and beadwork allows me to do that. Beadwork brings me closer to my ancestors with every bead, and simultaneously launches me into the future. Beadwork is my survival, and my thriving business. Beadwork is innovation, and another way to for me to meditate with art. It allows me to unwind, and concentrate. I pursue the trails set forth from my cultural traditions, and break new ground on my own journey into mystery. Included with this submission is my most recent creation “Elemental Dreams”.

At first, the project began as a way for me to push my boundaries strengths as an artist. This piece is 50 rows of bead work, x6 plus the corners, which are x2. Usually, my work has been about half of that, so this one really challenged me because of how long it took to make. As I chose my colors, I got inspired by how a flame dances and moves, its gradients and colors, its textures and light, so with my color scheme I sought to capture that. My creative process is mostly based on the natural world around me, improvisation and concepts that I’m attracted to, such as that found in astronomy and physics.

With my choice of different bead sizes, textures (some are twisted hex, cut hexagonal, cylinder, etc.) variances and colors, I wanted to express that visually, not so much with patterns within the work per se as I've seen other beaders do. I like making things look like they're alive, and for some reason my creations so far have been looking like sea creatures, according to most people. I think that's interesting. I really wanted to come out with my own thing that also took a long time to make, and that was distinctly my own style.

I’ve only been at this for two years now and counting, but in that time, I have advanced quickly, and have now found myself in teaching positions, showing other students what I was taught. Seeing them understand and have things “click” is a genuine joy that I experience every time I see what they can accomplish. I always tell them “If you can dream it, you can do it”, because they can see it happen before their very eyes. Who doesn’t want to learn how to accomplish everything they ever wanted and more?

In conclusion, beadwork has brought me not only great personal joy, but also astonishment, curiosity, from my patrons and new friendships with fellow artists in the field, as well as to the students I’ve taught. Seeing people’s faces light up when they hold my beadwork is a truly a sight to behold, and when I witness this, I know that I can be satisfied and have full confidence in my work as an artist. As a teacher, when I can see my students faces light up, I know I have done my job.