Indigenous Arts & Stories - She

“She”

“She” was created as a voice for women subjected to mistreatment, abuse, and violence. Drawing from personal experience, I created this work to be stark, alarming, and cause discomfort for the viewer.

Threat and violence are themes that have reoccurred in First Nation history repeatedly, most recently noted being the thousands of missing and murdered indigenous women that have been relentlessly abused and mistreated.

"She" intends to tell the story of modern Canadian women - aboriginal women – in one single image. "She" adorns her mistreatment but remains strong. "She" is intended to make the viewer uncomfortable, uneasy, and feel an undeniable sense of urgency. “She” was created to make her voice heard through visual representation.

Ultimately, she was created for a warrior, by a warrior. Though she comes from a place of pain, abuse, and degradation she is strong and unmoving. She is unapologetically resilient. She is ahead of her time and walks among those yet to realize her strength and power. Trampled, pillaged, and wounded she remains. She represents a person, a group, an entire culture, that has undergone relentless persecution and yet prevails through such hardship. She fights to transcend survival and reach a place of hope.

She - wants you to know that she is still here.