Georgina Fabian
Artist Story
When I was young my mom did handicrafts to put food on the table. She knew people wouldn’t buy things what weren’t of good quality so she always made sure her work was done really well. When I was about 10 years old I was going to school in Fort Providence and a lady showed us how to do moose hair tufting. After we finished our own tuftings, we all ran down to the mission and the nuns bought them from us for five dollars each. We were rich for one day! Ever since, I have loved making arts and crafts.
I like tufting caribou hair because it is fuller and it stands out more since it is softer. But it is also fine and falls all over the place so you need to know how to handle it. You need little bowls of water to keep it wet. Moose hair is not like that. It is longer and courser, but sewing with it is hard so have to keep it wet too. If it dries it won’t stand up right.
I don’t do as much tufting anymore, but I make moccasins and do a lot of sewing and beading. I learned all these things from my mother. If you listen to what elders tell you it works out good. Once I have an idea in my head I start working on it, but it takes me a while to get it together. Even when it’s done, it stays with me like a learning thing where you always start over and try again. I find that life is like that.
Georgina Fabian was born in Fort Providence, NT, but now resides on the Hay River Reserve. She creates beadwork, moccassins, moosehair tufting, embroidering, and jewelry. She is considered a master in her craft and has been doing traditional artwork since she was a child. Her mom works with quills, tufting and beadwork; her sisters make crafts, and her daughter has a keen interest in painting. Georgina credits her mother as being the source of her artistic inspiriation, as she creates lots of artwork, promotion for the youth in her community, to expand on their morals, and to keep tradition in her family. She also hosts traditional workshops with families in order to teach them cultural values and beliefs. Georgina Fabian's artwork can be viewed and purchased through her home, she prefers phone calls in order to setup viewing appointments.
Artist Gallery
