Metis artist Tracey-Mae Chambers hopes art will spark a conversation about decolonization

Tracey-Mae Chambers was at a loss during the pandemic, struggling to connect with people, her family and with her community.

That was the initial inspiration behind her latest project, in which individual strands of the same red yarn connect to a larger piece of art.

"I started to think of it in a literal sense, that we're all connected and we share certain things like, veins and blood," Chambers told CBC News.

"All of what that encompasses to me is represented in red yarn. How can I illustrate my needs or wants to connect with my family, my friends, my community in a larger scale."

When news of the discovery of the remains of Indigenous children at a former Kamloops residential school surfaced, the Metis artist decided to change direction and incorporate that event into the work she was doing.

"I started to look at the string as a racial slur, as a representation of courage, passion, but also of hate," she said.

Her piece, now called Hope and Healing Canada, is the latest interior and exterior exhibit at the Guelph Civic Museum.