About the Artist

I’m Skye Paul, a Dene artist based in Toronto with family roots in Northern Saskatchewan. My work in beadwork, leatherwork, quillwork, and illustration is grounded in ancestral techniques and traditional materials, while embracing a distinctly modern voice. Drawing inspiration from tattoo flash, pop culture, and vintage aesthetics, I strive to honour Dene design with contemporary relevance.

I learned to bead in a rez home in Beauval, Saskatchewan. I was 15, visiting for the first time, and when I hesitated to help butcher a moose, my auntie handed me beads instead. I stitched my first piece using one of Setsuné’s floral patterns. That moment was transformative—healing, grounding, and the beginning of a lifelong journey. When beading tattoo flash-inspired designs with Dene florals, I see Setsuné’s (my grandmother’s) hands at work. It is that poetic sense of identity that allows me to continue to grow and explore the cultural intersection of work in my globalized, urban setting.

For nearly a decade, I’ve built a full-time beadwork practice rooted in cultural reclamation and skill. My teachings come from family and community, through hands-on, intergenerational learning. I’m part of a generation of Indigenous artists who carry tradition into urban subcultures—honouring what we inherit while pushing the work forward.

Creative Work & Community

I’ve led beadwork workshops across Canada, teaching hundreds of people with care and intention. Highlights include:

  • 2025 - UofT's Beaded Earring Workshop
  • 2024 – Orange Shirt Day Workshop (igwaas)
  • 2024 – Adäka Cultural Festival Beaded Bolo Workshop
  • 2024 – The Bentway Beaded Fringe Workshop
  • 2024 – Luminato Festival Beaded Pin Workshop
  • 2022 – ANDPVA at Toronto City Hall Orange Shirt Pin Workshop
  • 2019 – TMU's Beading Circle
  • 2018 – Council Fire Youth Powwow Beading Workshop

My work has been exhibited in both grassroots and institutional spaces:

  • 2025 – Nico Williams: Bingo, PHI Foundation
  • 2024 – Auntie Indigenous Artist Residency Open House
  • 2023–2024 – Adäka Cultural Festival Gallery
  • 2023 – Unorthodox Yukon
  • 2023 – Adaptations Futures Conference
  • 2020–2024 – Indigenous Fashion Arts Marketplace (biannual)
  • 2017–2019 – Indigenous & Ingenious Show and Sale

Beading is slow fashion. It’s precise, meditative work. My pricing reflects a decade of refining my practice, investing in the best materials I can find, and striving for excellence in every stitch. Each piece is a continuation of the story that began around a kitchen table with my auntie, and I carry that care into every collection I create.