As a photographer, my work explores identities of communities and people, in particular in rural Alberta, and the relationships between memory and place, with a particular fascination with how food intersects with cultural identity. Growing up in Alberta, I hold a deep seated fascination with the culture of our rural spaces. Of what value do these small towns and rural communities have to us as Albertans and Canadians? How do the diverse identities in rural Alberta overlap and where do they differ? What defines my own identity as Western Canadian? These are questions I am continually asking through my work as a photographer, artist, researcher, and writer.
Elyse Bouvier (1987) is a Western-Canadian photographer based in Calgary with a Master's of Fine Art in Documentary Media from Ryerson University (2016). She also holds a B.Comm from Mount Royal University (2010). Her work explores identities of communities, in particular rural Alberta, and relationships between memory, and place, with a particular fascination with how food intersects with cultural identity.
She has presented her research and photographs in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Oxford, UK. Recent writing includes "Breaking Bread Online: Social Media, Photography, and the Virtual Experience of Food" and "Curating My Life: Musings on Instagram and Online Identity" along with other writing about food, coffee, and photography.
