Every year, our For Future Generations collection is about more than beauty. It's about creating something meaningful that gives back to Indigenous youth while celebrating the incredible creativity of Indigenous artists.
As we celebrate the 5th anniversary of our scholarship collection, we're honoured to partner with the National Gallery of Canada to present a collection inspired by Picking Akpiks (2021) by Indigenous artist Darcie Bernhardt.
This year's collection tells the story of one remarkable berry.
Meet Akpiks: The Cloudberry
Known in many northern communities as akpiks, the cloudberry is one of the Arctic's most treasured gifts.
Unlike berries cultivated on farms, cloudberries grow wild across the tundra and boreal landscapes of Canada's North, thriving in peat-rich wetlands and cool northern climates where few other plants can flourish. They cannot easily be farmed, making every harvest something to look forward to.
Because of their rarity, cloudberries are often called "Arctic Gold."
Their journey is just as beautiful as their colour.
The berries begin as a vibrant, tart red before slowly transforming into a glowing amber-gold as they ripen. Their flavour softens with time too—becoming delicately sweet, rich, and almost creamy.
For many northern families, the arrival of cloudberry season marks one of late summer's most cherished traditions. It's a time spent outdoors together, gathering berries that have nourished communities for generations.
A Painting That Feels Like Home
For artist Darcie Bernhardt, Picking Akpiks isn't simply a painting of berries.
It's a memory.
Growing up in Tuktuyaqtuuq, Northwest Territories, late summer meant watching the landscape shift into brilliant oranges, glowing yellows, rich reds, and warm amber tones as the cloudberries reached their peak.
Rather than painting a literal scene, Darcie works intuitively, using expressive gestures, layered colour, and movement to recreate the feeling of those moments.
The result is joyful, energetic, and deeply personal—a reminder that colour can hold memory.
Those same colours became the inspiration for every shade in this year's collection.
A Lip Collection Inspired by "Picking Akpiks"
Each product reflects a different stage of the cloudberry's journey, creating a colour story rooted in the land.
Sustain Lipstick in Darcie
The heart of the collection.
Inspired by perfectly ripened cloudberries, Darcie captures the berry's warm amber-coral glow. Comfortable, wearable, and luminous, it's a shade that brings warmth to every complexion while honouring the artist whose work inspired this collection.
Harmony Lip Gloss in Sunshine
As cloudberries ripen, they seem to catch the northern light in a way that's almost luminous.
Sunshine recreates that golden glow with a sheer, light-catching gloss that adds warmth and dimension whether worn alone or layered over Darcie.
Horizon Lip Pencil in Clay
Every berry begins with the land.
Clay grounds the collection with a coral pink nude inspired by the rich soil, peat, and northern landscapes where cloudberries grow wild. It defines, shapes, and balances the brighter tones of the lipstick and gloss while reflecting the connection between the fruit and the place it calls home.
Together, the three shades tell one complete story—from earth, to berry, to sunlight.
Beauty That Gives Back
The For Future Generations collection has always been about investing in Indigenous youth.
Every purchase helps support the For Future Generations Indigenous Youth Scholarship Fund, creating educational opportunities for Indigenous students across Canada.
Giving back isn't something we add to our products—it's woven into everything we create.
By pairing Indigenous artistry with purpose, we hope each collection celebrates not only beauty, but culture, storytelling, and the future we're building together.
A Limited Edition Worth Collecting
This is our most exclusive scholarship collection yet.
Created in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada, featuring artwork by Darcie Bernhardt's Picking Akpiks (2021), and available in extremely limited quantities, this collection was designed to be both worn and treasured.
Like the cloudberries that inspired it, it won't be around for long.
Thank you for helping us celebrate five years of giving back—and for helping create opportunities for future generations.
Miigwetch,
Jenn Harper
Founder & CEO
Cheekbone Beauty