Vibrant Beaded Compositions by Renée Condo Convey the Mi’gmaq Spirit of Empathy

Throughout her practice, Renée Condo draws on the philosophical tenets of her Mi’gmaq ancestry. The Montreal-based artist works with wooden beads that she sands, paints in bold acrylic, and nests into energetic compositions depicting juicy fruits, raindrops, and brilliant, golden suns.

Condo is interested in mntu, or spirit, and what she refers to as heart knowledge, acts that emerge from empathy and love. Through sculptural pieces that emphasize interconnection and flow, the artist draws on Indigenous creation stories and myths, considering her beadwork a reimagining of various traditions.

a beaded work by Renee Condo of pink cherries — “Giju’” (2024), wood beads, acrylic paint, epoxy on wood panel, 72 × 60 inches

Condo often engages the relationship between the component and composition, emphasizing the ways in which a singular piece would appear abstract without a broader context. “The bead as fundamental entity, as infinite potentiality, can appear as divided, as unit, as part,” she says, “but is at once whole and all-encompassing, holding secrets of the world and to the nature of reality.”

This fall, Condo will have work on view at GAVLAK, where she’s represented. You can find more of her practice on Instagram.

a wooden bead piece by Renee Condo of a cherry emerging from the left side — “Newt” (2023), wood beads, acrylic paint, transparent epoxy resin on wood panel, 60 × 60 inches

a round wooden bead piece by Renee Condo of a cherry like form on white — “Welgwija’latl V” (2023), wood beads, acrylic paint, epoxy on wood panel, 44 × 44 inches

a detail of a wooden beaded work by Renee Condo of two cherry-like outlines — Detail of “Gesiangam’tg 2” (2025), wood beads, acrylic paint, epoxy on wood panel, 60 x 25 inches

a tall oval wooden beaded work by Renee Condo of cherry-like outlines — “Gesiangam’tg 3” (2025), wood beads, acrylic paint, epoxy on wood panel, 60 x 25 inches

a wooden bead piece by Renee Condo of a yellow circle with blue dots and a lighter yellow square at the center — “Pgumane’get / Go to get (pick) Blueberries” (2022), wood beads, acrylic paint, transparent epoxy resin on wood panel, 60 × 60 × 2 inches

a diptych by Renee Condo of water droplets and a rounded yellow sphere near the top — “Ne’talqigwat: Between Worldviews (a,b)” (2024), wood beads, acrylic paint, epoxy on wood panel, 72 x 60 inches each

a detail image of a blue and yellow beaded work by Renee Condo — A studio view of “Ne’talqigwat: Between Worldviews (a,b)” (2024), wood beads, acrylic paint, epoxy on wood panel, 72 x 60 inches each

a triptych by Renee Condo of three beaded panels with cherry-like forms emerging from the center — “Untitled” (2025), wood panel, wood beads, acrylic paint, resin, 72 x 48 inches each

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