Ashes (The Spectacular Boom series), 2023.
Sonny Assu is a member of the Ligwiłda’xw people of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations on Vancouver Island. This exhibition, called Confluence, brings together several bodies of work that respond to the ongoing impacts of colonialism on Indigenous communities, such as the loss of land, language, cultural belongings, traditional knowledge, and self-determination.
Working in many mediums, Assu sparks conversation about Indigenous life. He often uses humour and pop culture to connect with audiences, while also drawing on the visual traditions and histories of his ancestors. Through this blending of past and present, his work reclaims stories of power and identity, celebrating Indigenous strength, resilience, and perspectives.
Sonny Assu, an Indigenous artist of the Ligwiłda’xw of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations, was raised in North Delta, BC, and now lives on his ancestral land on Vancouver Island. He studied at Emily Carr University and earned an MFA from Concordia. His many honours include the Emily Carr Distinguished Alumnus Award, BC Creative Achievement Award in First Nations Art (2011), Hnatyshyn Foundation’s REVEAL Indigenous Art Award (2017), and the Eiteljorg Contemporary Arts Fellowship (2021). Assu has exhibited widely in Canada and internationally, with works held in public and private collections across Canada, the UK, USA, and Australia.
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