In the exhibition Continuum, interdisciplinary Liǥwildaʼx̱w artist Sonny Assu explores and sheds light on the hidden histories of Indigenous peoples from the Pacific Northwest Coast. From interventions on iconic paintings by Emily Carr and Paul Kane, to large-scale paintings in the shape of Chilkat blankets and the large-scale drum installation Billy and the Chiefs, Assu explores elements of West Coast formline aesthetics to refashion and reinvent the meaning and function of traditional art forms. In other words, by experimenting with conventions of Pacific Northwest Coast art, Assu challenges the notion that a Native artist on the Northwest Coast must conform to particular aesthetic conventions.
“Hidden Histories” exhibition brochure for Continuum.
Continuum, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, June 12- September 6, 2015.