ABOUT THE ARTIST

 

səʔ notsʔ tí. Hello, welcome.

Beading Hearts is by Madison, a 27-year-old indigenous artist and first-time mother living next to Salish Sea. Madison grew up in Aberdeen, Washington and currently resides in Olympia, Washington. Her work is rooted in legacy, she comes from a long line of artists and caretakers—whose creativity, skill, and strength has shaped who she is today. Guided by memory and created with intention; each beaded piece is a meditation in beads, heritage and love.

Madison is an enrolled member of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, with ancestral ties to the Chinook Nation, the Lower Chehalis Tribes, and the Nisqually Indian Nation. Her beadwork draws inspiration from Pacific Northwest Indigenous visual languages, ancestral teachings, mentors and personal lineage—transforming memories and ideas into wearable art.

"On my mother’s side, my great Chitcha (Grandmother) Lorraine was a masterful beadworker and seamstress who adorned family life with personalized dolls and intricate jewelry and other accessories in Tokeland, Washington.

On my father’s side, my Grandmother Judith was a gifted artist, pianist, cook and gardener who passed along her knowledge to me. We spent many summers in Port Angeles gardening together. She once gifted me a Pacific Bleeding Heart flower to take home with the words, “Now you can start a garden of your own.”  She passed away later that same season."

That lilac-pink colored flower became the emblem behind Beading Hearts: a symbol of strength, love, healing and feminine resilience. The brand is a living tribute to matriarchs, cultural bearers, and to the idea that fashion can carry spirit.

"My journey into beadwork came through longing for reconnection, community, and healing. Art became a powerful way back. It’s not just a craft or a business—it’s medicine. It’s the restoration of culture. It’s an act of love.

Each beaded piece is made slowly with intention. My work speaks to those who honor heritage, wish to support Native artists, who value sustainability and design, and who understand that true fashion, like culture, cannot be rushed."

Hiyu Masi. Thank you for being here, thank you for supporting something that came from the heart.