Taqsiqtuut Indigenous Research-Creation Lab Mural project
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Artists
Brianna Bear
Brianna Bear is an Indigenous artist based in the traditional territory of her father’s people in the Lekwungen lands of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations in Victoria, B.C. Brianna has more than 15 years of experience. She began learning under Butch Dick and her grandfather Skip Dick. Afterwards, she discovered her roots and formline design through her cultural connections to Songhees and Namgis Nations. Today, working as one of a few Indigenous female artists within her traditional territory of the Songhees people, Brianna love to tell stories with her designs that have ranged murals, logos, small business designs, event designs and more!
Kaylyn Baker
Kaylyn is a Northern Tutchone and Tlingit artist from the Yukon and a citizen of Selkirk First Nation but based out of Whitehorse. Kaylyn is an avid beader, using a variety of materials and textiles, and drawing on the principals of visual art to create her own designs. In addition to making jewelry, Kaylyn’s beadwork adorns garments and accessories, including mukluks, moccasins, and purses. She is also exploring ASMR, below is a photo of Kaylyn using a shawl she created and a contact mic to create ASMR noises.
Beading allows Kaylyn to connect with her ancestors—her mother, grandmothers, and great grandmothers all beaded—as well as with her peers and her children. Beading is a form of storytelling, a way to pass along traditions and knowledge to future generations. In addition to showing her kids the good things that come from following their dreams, Kaylyn hopes through her beadwork and sharing her sewing skills to inspire other Indigenous people who may have lost touch with their traditions as a result of residential school.
Ann-Sofie Kallok
Ann-Sofie Kallok is a duodjár (craftswoman) and designer who makes unique products with a modern Sámi expression, e.g. jewelry, prints and interiors. With deep respect and extensive knowledge of duodje, she creates products that in different ways capture attributes from Sámi culture and presents them in an innovative way. In this way, she allows tradition, knowledge, soul and heart to find new ways into new contexts.
Ann-Sofie grew up in the Stockholm area, but after high school she moved back to her ancestor's land in Jåhkåmåhkke and today she lives in Guovdageaidnu.
Photo: Ben Searcy. Courtesy of the artist and the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Image credit for artwork Ayarra – Image: Louis Lim. Courtesy of the artist and Onespace.
TEHo ROPEYARN
Teho Ropeyarn is an artist and curator from Injinoo, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Born in Mount Isa in 1988, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts (UNSW) in Sydney and is currently based in Cairns, Queensland.
Teho is descended from the Angkamuthiand Yadhaykana clans from Injinoo on the mainland, Badu, Moa and Murray Island in the Torres Strait; Woppaburrapeople (Great Keppel Island) and Batchullapeople (Fraser Island). His practice is focussed on his father’s people’s heritage. Having lived in Injinoo most of his life, he focuses on his Aboriginal heritage to keep what is remaining, alive.
The narratives in his work explore several traditional and historical stories including significant events, dreaming sites, totems, the four clan groups that make up the Injinoo peoples and ceremonial body designs encompassing spiritual connection to Country and community on both land and sea.
MURAL PAINTING ASSISTANTS
BrEANNA SPRECKER
Breanna Sprecker is a multidisciplinary artist of Blackfoot (Siksikatapii) and Mixed European Heritage. She grew up in the Okanagan Valley before coming to Victoria to study. She is in her Fourth year doing the Visual Arts BFA program at UVic and is continuing on with her Master afterwards. Her practice spans many mediums including mainly large-scale painting, drawing and mixed media collage. Her work often focuses on themes of identity, family, cultural resurgence, intergenerational trauma and social and environmental justice.
ClAIRE JORGENSEN
Claire Jorgensen is an artist and holds a BFA (hons.) from the University of Victoria. She was born and raised on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Lekwungen and W̱sáneć nations. As both a painter and photographer Claire has shown work in local cafes and galleries, and in July of 2024 had her work in a group show at the Ministry of Casual Living. Claire has experience painting murals as she chosen to create work for the lobby of the Island Medical Program building here on campus. In 2024, for her contribution to the public art on campus, Claire received the Faculty of Fine Art Student Impact Award for this mural project titled A Dream of Vitality. In 2023/24 Claire was Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Award (JCURA) scholar. Her research project This Is The Space I Take Up culminated in an installation of over 50 self-portraits. In 2022 Claire was commissioned by UVic’s Equity and Human Resources department to create a painting reflecting the opinions and feedback from numerous members of the UVic community regarding Equity and Diversity. Claire has been an active member of the University's community through her art. She is excited to work on this project and to help facilitate further art development on campus.
SEVEN EMBURY
Seven Embury is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Victoria, BC., on the unceded territories of Lək̓ ʷəŋən and W̱ SÁNEĆ Peoples. A painter and digital media artist, Seven aims to capture the visceral sensations of anxiety and fears that are produced by our modern world. Reflecting on his self-destructive tendencies, Seven examines how his anxieties are created and influenced by our society. Seven holds a Diploma of Visual Arts from Camosun College and a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria. His works have been featured in the Tofino Gallery of Contemporary Art, the Audain Gallery, and Silver Bullets.