About the Artist

Chantelle Trainor-Matties

Nisga’a-Metis

Chantelle Trainor-Matties is an Indigenous artist from Abbotsford, British Columbia, of Nisg̱a’a descent, with ancestral roots in the village of Ging̱olx in the Nass Valley. She also has Métis ancestry that traces back to the Red River Settlement in Manitoba, along with a mixed European background. Chantelle grew up, lives, and works on the unceded territory of the Stó:lō peoples. She specializes in illustration, painting, design, and mural art, working for herself and taking on contract work through her small business Frettchan Studios. Her work blends contemporary Northwest Coast formline, reflecting her Nisg̱a’a roots, with cartoons and realism. She’s been reclaiming her Indigeneity through many pathways, including art and learning the Nisg̱a’a language. Chantelle’s portfolio consists of many subject matters such as flora, fauna, pop culture, and the macabre; however, she primarily highlights animals in her work and loves to find lessons we can learn from them and practice in our everyday lives.

Trainor-Matties married her husband Joshua in 2012 who actively supports her art journey, including the fabrication of items (wooden jewelry, coasters, etc) featuring her designs. A lot of her artwork is inspired by her furry companions. They currently have a cat named Laska; however, over the years, they have had a business (group) of four ferrets, Momo, Niku, Pabu, and Kēki, as well as a cat named Choco who have passed but live on in her heart and work. If you would like to learn more about her furkids, you can visit theferrets.ca.

Some current artistic goals for Trainor-Matties, besides continuing a successful art practice, are to illustrate and publish a children’s book about her ferrets and create enough pieces to have a solo show focused on the Mustelidae family.