What comes to your mind when you think of childhood? Bright colours, innocence, curiosity?
All these ideas and more will be shown through Manuel Axel Strain’s latest work, xʷəlməxʷ child, at the Polygon Gallery kicking off in an opening celebration Saturday afternoon. The exhibit runs until May 11.
Strain is a two-spirit artist from the lands of the Musqueam, Secwépemc, and Syilx peoples, and combines cultural ways of knowing and Western psychology in their recent piece.
“The exhibition weaves together connections to land, water, air, and family, which are foundational elements of the Musqueam, Secwépemc, and Syilx peoples culture and being. Simultaneously, it evokes childhood memories and layers different parts of the exhibit to reflect concepts drawn from Western psychological frameworks,” Strain said.
xʷəlməxʷ child is comprised of mixed-use elements including large photographs with paintings on top, textile pieces and lots of colour art works, Strain said. Some photos feature Strain’s relatives as well as elements of nature, including the sky, sea and mountains.
Strain went through old family photo archives finding images that spoke to them. Their work looks at not necessarily their own experiences, but other First Nation child perspectives, they said.
Tables and chairs are also spread out throughout the installation evoking a home setting, but the dimensions create a strange feeling, making the viewer feel small or the furnishings have purposes beyond what is expected, according to the gallery’s website.
The multi meanings and Strain’s hard work will be celebrated at Saturday’s celebration. Polygon Gallery Assistant Curator and Secwépemc artist Serena Steele will be doing a cedar brushing of the work to cleanse the space. A song and blanketing ceremony will follow afterwards, said curator Elliott Ramsey.
“Visitors will be able to learn about the show and a lot of the work and care and the context that have shaped this exhibition,” Ramsey said. “They’ll be able to witness a really meaningful ceremony.”
Strain’s family and members from both the Musqueam and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) will also be attending the show, Ramsey said.
Ramsey has been following Strain’s work for years and is excited to have xʷəlməxʷ child in the space.
The curator first saw Strain’s work outside a SkyTrain station in Richmond during a local photography festival a few years ago, and later again in 2022 when he was a juror for the West Coast and Yukon region for the Sobey Art Award, a national prize organized by the National Gallery of Canada.
After Ramsey heard Strain was long listed for the prize, the two kept in contact, eventually leading to a spot at the North Vancouver gallery.
But what makes this installation extra fun are the little surprises people can find throughout, sparking curiosity and wonder like in childhood.
“People will maybe be reminded of their own childhood, or kids that they know, or of generations to come,” Ramsey said.
“Coming away with this feeling of curiosity, innocence, being small and in the state of wonder, and what it means to be thinking about our constantly fluctuating world with the curiosity and openness of a child, I think that’s [a] beautiful thing that Manuel is creating in this show.”
Surprises are an element Strain tries to create in most of the work they do.
“There’s lots of coded symbolism, and I like having those surprises for people. So people can inquisitively think about things and create that sense of ‘Oh, what’s that?’” Strain said. “I want people to be inquisitive and try to find meaning or wonder about things, and speculate or question, and little surprises do that.”
The xʷəlməxʷ child opening celebration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and people can RVSP on the Polygon Gallery’s website.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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