Exhibition to highlight foundational Indigenous art

A new exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art will showcase 11 foundational works of art by contemporary Indigenous artists.

“Unapologetic: Acts of Survivance” opens Jan. 12 and features works by Carl Beam, Bob Boyer, Robert Houle and other artists critical in paving the way for Indigenous artists and curators today.

During the 1980s, these artists declared the lack of Indigenous representation in major arts institutions across Canada was symptomatic of a broader historical and ongoing indifference to Indigenous people.

“They—and many others of their generation—were provocateurs,” says exhibition curator, Rhéanne Chartrand, McMaster’s first Aboriginal Curatorial Resident. “They weren’t afraid to talk about the issues and realities of life as a contemporary Indigenous person through their art. Despite the fact that they were acutely aware that the lack of inclusion in major institutions was directly tied to entrenched colonial attitudes that the art world held toward Indigenous art, they never wavered in their resolve to incite change on their own terms. They really broke down barriers and challenged the status quo about Indigenous art, and I believe that this artist-activist spirit has carried forward into Indigenous artistic practice today.”

The exhibition runs until March 25. A curator’s tour will be held Jan. 31, and a curator’s talk on Feb. 2.

Unapologetic is the first of two interrelated exhibitions of Indigenous art curated by Chartrand. The second exhibition, Coyote School, will be on display from June 09 to August 26, and will feature works by emerging and mid-career Indigenous artists who cite influence via artistic inspiration, mentorship or familial connection to the eleven artists presented in Unapologetic.