Carmen Dennis, a bead artist from Dease Lake, attended an Ice Cube concert in Abbotsford Feb. 20 and has since gained recognition for her beaded medallion featuring the artist’s silhouette image.
Attending the concert with her family, her daughter threw the black and white beaded medallion on to the stage where the rapper picked it up and wore it for the next to songs.
In a recent Facebook post Dennis wrote, “Never in a million years would I have thought that a celebrity, especially one of my favourite[s,] would be wearing my beadwork!!! So thankful and my cup runneth over with blessings and gratitude!”
Ice Cube has since posted on his social media thanking Dennis saying, “Thank you for spending your time and talent on me Carmen Dennis I will cherish this forever”
Dennis talked with CFNR about the concert and her journey in learning beadwork and how it is a form of art and holds cultural significance.
It can also be a form of expression beyond Indigenous art and is in Dennis’s opinion experiencing a revitalization with traditional designs and colors being reused.
She talks about the importance of beadwork in cultural communities, and the expressive nature of bead artwork.
