Carmen Hathaway is an independent media artist of Abenaki and German ancestry.
A member of the Abenaki First Nation, Odanak, Québec, Canada, she has resided in Manitoba since the 70s.
In combining traditional methods with digital technologies, the surreal narratives of her mixed media originals seek to intrigue, provoke, engage.
Her visual arts practice evolves through experiences of exhibition, jurying, teaching, and creating works in a variety of media.
Processes include traditional and digital painting, art glass, photography, video, and audio.
The recipient of several Manitoba Arts Council grants, she has participated in group shows since the late ’90s. Her solo exhibitions Carte Blanche, (Abenaki Museum, Odanak, Québec), and Self-Similarity, (Portage & District Arts Centre, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) were presented in 2011.
From Smoke To Cyber Signals, made possible thanks to the financial support of CALQ/Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, was presented in 2017 at the Ashukan Cultural Space, Montreal, Quebec, subsequently touring in 2018 to the Canadian Language Museum at Glendon College, York University, Toronto, Ontario.
With the generous support of the Manitoba Arts Council, her virtual/video exhibition, Art of Centricity: COVID:19 debuted on Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment Gallery's (Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) YouTube channel, as their exclusive premiere, April 1 - June 30, 2022.
Her contemporary interpretations of the cultural heritage of Abenaki weaving continually evolve, informing adaptation and hybridization.
Weaving virtual realities has become a parallel to this aspect in the artist’s digital projects — by incorporating and expanding on ideas relevant to the warp and weft of the fabric of life.
"I live for the impetus of inspiration. Contemplating infinite possibilities is my favourite sport."
~ Carmen Hathaway, 2024