Big Hello — Maureen Gruben

Big Hello (2021)
Beaded uppers, cell phone cases; 112 pieces, Dimensions variable

North Wind radio show airs across Inuvialuit communities weekdays at noon. During the hour, people call in to send greetings out to family and friends in neighbouring hamlets, often wishing their loved ones a ‘Big hello!’. Maureen Gruben’s 2021 work Big Hello sees over 100 uppers—the beaded tops of moccasins—paired with phone cases found in thrift stores. The uppers for Big Hello were gathered from many sources. Some were made by the artist’s mother; others were given to her by friends and family specifically for this project; a number were collected over the years from moccasins the artist rescued from Tuktoyaktuk's landfill. All were carefully hand-beaded with their makers’ own designs, and were likely created for a family member. The factory-made phone cases also offer an array of colours, graphics, and designs, each having been chosen and used by an unknown individual, according to their personal style, before being discarded.

The piece was first shown in June, 2021, at Gruben's camp at Husky Lakes, a part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region where many community members spend the spring ice fishing season. Suspended in her tent frame (which she has used for decades and had temporarily reimagined as a pop-up gallery) the assemblages became a cloud of vibrant, highly detailed patterns that could be understood as a gathering of reclaimed memories. The uppers had personal connections for those who were able to visit this exhibition, which was accessible only by skidoo. At the same time, in each assemblage, the work structures a metaphorical pairing of two people (beader with phone owner) who are not only unknown to each other, but in many cases to viewers and the artist herself. Big Hello touches on how our stories are shared as we move across distances and through time; how we work to maintain and repair our connections to others; and how these processes entwine with our complex, interlinked cycles of creation and consumption; saving and waste.