BIRCH BARK BITING ARTIST
Halfmoon Woman/ Pat Bruderer represents the preservation of a special type of Indigenous art. The art form is called Birch Bark Bitings and she is one of the few knowledge keepers and expert practitioners of this ancient Indigenous practice.
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Halfmoon Woman, is self-taught in the art form but was highly inspired by the work of Angelique Merasty of Flin Flon, Manitoba. She feels a great responsibility as a carrier of this traditional art form, strives for its preservation and for the teachings that it holds; something she calls 'Passing a Tradition.'
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Halfmoon's work can be found in museums, galleries, and private collections around the world.
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ABOUT THE ART
A birch bark biting is a unique piece of Indigenous artwork. They are made by biting an image, using only the teeth, into a thin, single layer of birch bark from the birch tree. Birch bark had many uses historically, from making canoes and cooking pots, to medicinal uses. Birch bark bitings were used as a means to create bead work patterns on clothing and moccasins, to share stories and to record ceremonies. Birch bark biting is an extremely rare skill in modern times, and the rarity of the art form makes them even more special!
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The artist begins by peeling a thin strip of birch bark from a birch tree. Then, by carefully folding the bark, the pattern imagined is pressed into the birch bark, using only the teeth.
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