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Tamara works with a level of sophistication that is really admirable. The jury was impressed not only with the quality and impact of her work but the degree to which the ideals and concepts transcend the work itself and are embodied in her way of working.
– Emerging Artist adjudicators
Tamara Lee-Anne Cardinal is a multi-media artist, community activist, and perpetual learner. Born and raised in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, she currently lives in Treaty 7 territory within Otôskwanihk (Calgary, Alberta). Tamara traces her ancestral roots back to both Nêhiyaw and Deutsch descent. Cardinal graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture the Alberta University of the Arts in 2015. She is a recipient of the National BMO 1st Art! Competition Award for her work Back into the Earth: Creation and the Interpretation of Meaning; recipient of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Young Artist Award, 2017. Akohp: A Blanket was exhibited at the Art Gallery of Alberta as a part of the Alberta Biennial For the Time Being, acquired into their collections.
Cardinal has been an active member in the urban Indigenous community in Treaty 7 Territory, activating roles through Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society, Native Counselling Services of Alberta, and Miskanawah Diamond Willow Youth Lodge. Cardinal’s work continues to be a reflection of the teachings she receives along her journey; it is an invitation for others to become a part of the process, to partake in its making.