The Stories We Belong To

The Stories We Belong To

Dates: November 19, 2022 -February 11, 2023

The Stories We Belong To is an exhibition showcasing the work of the 2022 Indigenous Emerging Artists Program participants.

The Indigenous Emerging Artists Program (IEAP) was founded as a free and hands-on program to nurture, mentor and assist in the development of emerging Indigenous artists’ professional and creative practices. A small cohort of mentees between the ages of 15 to 30, whose Indigenous ancestry comes from anywhere in the world, explore a wide range of artistic practices and connect with established Indigenous artists through a series of workshops developed by each mentor specifically for the group.

The theme “The Stories We Belong To” frames the 2022 program, through which mentees are offered the opportunity to tell their own stories in a supportive and culturally safe environment, culminating in a group exhibition. Mentors include Open Space’s Curator, Indigenous & Contemporary Art, Eli Hirtle, Elder-in-Residence Gerry Ambers, Elder Support Tyrone Elliott, Tah’lum Indigenous Artists Collective Administrator Jesse Campbell, alongside guest artists and cultural practitioners from local, national and international Indigenous communities.

Beth Watmough-Flanders

Eli Gloor

Jasper Pettman

Joshua Ngenda

Michael Gilbert

Sarah Jim

Tama Aisake

Tulah Patterson

Uumati Kisoun-Inuarak

Banner image: 2022 Indigenous Emerging Artists Program, cedar weaving workshop led by mentor Tyrone Elliott.

Beth Watmough-Flanders I am a Michif (Metis), Nehiyaw (Cree) and Settler multi-media artist whose family connections come from Red River Manitoba, Rocky Boy Reserve in Montana, as well as England, Ireland, Norway and Belgium. I was born in Treaty 7 Territory and am now lucky to live in Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territories as an uninvited guest. I am currently studying at Camosun College. Art connects me to my late grandmother, Judy Watmough and beading re-connects me to my family’s lost cultural practices. My art is influenced by Nature, Spirit and the Matriarchs that raised me.

Eli Gloor is a Swampy Cree / Metis and European artist based in Victoria who works mainly with acrylic paints. His art practice is very spontaneous and in the moment with most works being intuitively created. Eli takes inspiration from memories, media, art, nature, dreams and imagination. This can be seen in the varying themes and styles of his work. Since Eli started actively painting in 2020, his art has been showcased in cafes, galleries, markets and festivals.

Jasper Pettman I am a White-nehiyaw, Two-Spirit/trans artist from Secwepemcúl’ecw (interior BC). I have been living on the unceded territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ and lək̓ʷəŋən peoples since 2019, and I am currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Victoria.

Joshua Ngenda is maker and artist of Kissi, Kpelle and mixed settler ancestry. Practicing mainly in photographic portraiture, their work is both intimate and experimental, resting in the slow intention of analog process. He currently calls home the unceded territories of the WSÁNEĆ and the Lkwungen peoples of southern Vancouver Island.

Sarah Jim TŦE NE SNÁ. ĆSELÁE SEN EṮ W̱ SÁNEĆ (W̱ SIḴEM). My name is Sarah Jim and I’m of mixed ancestry from the village of Tseycum in W̱ SÁNEĆ. I’ve received a BFA from UVIC and work in environmental restoration. I’m honoured to create art that reflects and advocates for our beautiful land, sea and skies.

Michael Gilbert is a Secwépemc painter and photographer from T’exelc (Williams Lake First Nation). She is currently attending the University of Victoria as a student in the visual arts program. She finds inspiration in many places and is motivated by memory, experiences, and reconnecting to culture. The exploration of these topics often results in transforming standard notions of realism into uniquely expressive stories. “I try to reach beyond the borders of language working in a surrealistic style that is both vibrant and narrative.”

Tama Aisake is of Rotuman and mixed European ancestry, born and raised in Kwantlen unceded territory, moving to the W̱SÁNEĆ and Sc’ianew territories in 2021. Following in her father’s footsteps, Tama is a multidisciplinary Pāsifika artist focused on painting, performance and printmaking to practice ancestral storytelling and language revitalization. She finds great nourishment, knowledge and empowerment through the practice of cultural revitalization. Tama believes Indigenous knowledge and language practices are necessary to provide critical medicines/ relationships for youth to navigate diasporic life in urban environments. Working as a youth educator, her practice focuses on building identity, esteem and belonging through value and creativity-based, culturally informed education. Tama graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a certificate in Non-Profit Organization. She is currently learning to speak Rotuman, sharing language and cultural education resources with the Rotuman-Canadian diaspora community Club Hugagesea and the broader Rotuman audience globally through social media.

Tulah Patterson was born in 2003 and grew up and still currently lives on the territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ people. This is also where her current art practice is. Tulah is Métis on her maternal side, her relations are from Fort Qu’Appelle in Treaty 4 territory. On her father’s side she is settler with Scottish roots. Tulah focuses on the mediums of beading, painting and Lino block printing in her art practice. She currently explores concepts around reconnecting and blood memory.

Uumati Kisoun-Inuarak is a Two Spirit and queer multimedia artist from Inuvik, NWT. They’ve been drawing and creating with everything they could get a hold of as long as they could remember. Their practice is focused on visual art—primarily painting and drawing. Uumati was born in 2001 and lived for much of their childhood on their ancestral lands by Kuukpak (“[the] Great River”). Their mother’s family is Inuvialuit and Inupiaq from Inuvik, NWT, Gwitchin from Old Crow, YK and Kaska Dena from Deylu (Lower Post), BC. Uumati’s father’s family is Inuit from Mittimatalik, NU.

Uumati has lived in various communities throughout the North Pacific, both ancestral lands and unceded territories; and they have been celebrating, living and making art on the traditional territories of the Esquimalt, Songhees and WSÁNEĆ nations for the past 13 years.

In recent years Uumati has rediscovered their tricky on and off love of textiles learned in their traditional territories and childhood homes throughout the north from watching and spending much of their years growing up with their aunties especially from their great great aunt Emma Dick and their great grandma Bertha Allen. Themes from their art practice include and are heavily inspired by Indigenous futurism, contemporary Inuit art, animism/shaminism, growing up in the alternative scene going to punk/grindcore/DIY basement shows, many friends with beautiful souls and creative minds, their homelands, art nouveau and expressionism.

Uumati says Mussi Cho for supporting their art.