WHEN RAVEN BECAME SPIDER IS A POP ART EXPLOSION

The Art Gallery of Sudbury always has something new in store for visitors and this time around art lovers can look forward to one of the most colourful exhibits of the season! When Raven Became Spider is collaborative exhibition featuring six Indigenous artists fusing graphic novel styles with traditional and modern cultural symbolism. The first thing you’ll notice upon walking into the gallery is the colours! Flashes of colour on the gallery walls plays up the pulp style often associated with pop art. Check out the exhibit for yourself until October 28^th.

The name of the exhibition When Raven Became Spider comes from artist Sonny Assu’s work depicting Raven revealing himself as Spiderman all drawn in a traditional Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw style. Additional artists lending their talents to the project include Joi T. Arcand, Julianne Herney, Shaun Beyale, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, and Jeffrey Veregge. This showcase highlights the influence pop culture has on generations while adding in elements of traditional culture to create a balance. Through these works characters from Indigenous stories are infused with a graphic novel aesthetic, speaking to the relevance of ancient teachings even today.

“Traditional stories highlight figures with super-heroic traits who maintain their complexity, while contemporary comic-book superheroes tend to be simply characterized as good or evil,” elaborated Leena Minifie who is the Vancouver-based curator responsible for assembling this exhibition. “The complex super-heroic beings of Indigenous stories imply the possibility of self-transformation for individuals and communities alike. Bringing these figures into a contemporary context is a testimony to their continued importance and to the resilience and continued existence of Indigenous people today.”

The exhibition will be on display at the Art Gallery of Sudbury from September 21 – October 29, 2017. Check out the Art Gallery of Sudbury website here or their Facebook page to keep up to date on exhibits coming through!