Let’s hear it for the beads! Nico Williams, the Montreal-based Aamjiwnaang First Nation artist, has won Canada’s top art prize, the Sobey Art Award, and it’s a win that feels as much about rethinking craft as it is about celebrating culture. In a world where contemporary art can get lost in its own head, Williams’ work reminds us that the personal, the communal, and the handmade still have the power to startle and inspire.

Williams doesn’t just do beadwork—he transforms it. Everyday objects become mythic, sparkling, and sacred in his hands. His art isn’t just about technique (though, make no mistake, the craft is impeccable). It’s about what those beads carry: memory, resistance, connection. The jury got it right when they said his work “weaves personal experiences into broadly relatable narratives.” That’s art at its best—specific and yet universal.

And let’s talk about that tension. Beadwork has long been dismissed as “craft” or “women’s work”—terms loaded with condescension. Williams flips that script. His pieces don’t demand respect; they command it. They bridge tradition and innovation, honoring the past while speaking directly to the now.

There’s also an undeniable quiet rebellion in his art. As Jonathan Shaughnessy, chair of the Sobey jury, pointed out, his practice challenges colonial legacies. But it does so with elegance, not bluntness. Williams doesn’t shout, but his work reverberates. It speaks of reclaiming space, rewriting narratives, and holding ground—not through confrontation, but through creation.

His acceptance speech was equally resonant: “To all the bush kids out there, we are doing it!” That’s not just gratitude; it’s a mission statement. Williams is proof that art born from community can stand shoulder to shoulder with the slickest, most conceptual gallery fare.

While the Sobey Award’s runners-up—Taqralik Partridge, Mathieu Léger, June Clark, Rhayne Vermette, and Judy Chartrand—each bring their own power, this was Williams’ year. His work, along with theirs, is on view at the National Gallery of Canada through April 6, 2025. Go see it. Be reminded of how deeply art can resonate when it’s anchored in something real.

Because here’s the thing: Art doesn’t have to be massive to feel monumental. It doesn’t need to be flashy to be unforgettable. Nico Williams shows us that even the smallest beads, when strung together with intention and heart, can carry the weight of worlds.