SUM Gallery, Canada’s only queer multidisciplinary gallery, is honored to host Adrian Stimson’s debut of their most recent work for the gallery’s second exhibition of the year, Naked Napi.
“For the Blackfoot, a lot of our stories have sexual content, sex and sexuality was often interwoven within the language…yet the damage has been done and in our time, it is our right and duty to reclaim our sexual histories, i hope through this series of paintings to trigger people, to help them understand and accept our ways of life. To be Napi and create stories for our time and two spirit being.”
— Adrian Stimson, Artist of Naked Napi
Adrian Stimson: Naked Napi
Exhibition Dates: Sept 8, 2018 to Dec 8, 2018 – Tuesday to Saturday, 12 to 6pm – by donation
Exhibition Opening: Sept 8, 2018 – 2 to 4pm, in SUM gallery, suite #425
Artist Talk: Sept 6, 2018 – 7pm to 9pm, in Full Circle studio, suite #416
Curated by SD Holman
Presentation partner: Full Circle – First Nations Performances
About the Exhibition
Napi is a character from traditional stories of the Siksika (Blackfoot) nation. Often referred to as the “Old Man” who came from the sun, Napi alongside the “Old Woman” are known as quasi-creators in these stories.
Naked Napi presents Adrian Stimson’s new site specific Installation.
Through this collection, Naked Napi reimagines the traditional tales of Napi in the present. Where the intersections of indigeneity, sexuality and Two-Spirit identities are drawn to the forefront in this retelling. It is a display of reclamation that challenges the colonial erasure of Indigenous bodies, power and sexual histories.
About the Artist
A member of the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation, Adrian Stimson is a Two-Spirit interdisciplinary artist who has exhibited works both nationally and internationally. Having attended three residential schools in their life, Stimson draws upon their lived experiences to investigate themes of cultural fragility, sexuality, genocide and resilience. Stimson achieves this radical examination of intersecting themes through avenues of performance art, painting and installation work. Stimson was awarded the Governor General’s award in Visual Arts in 2018, the Blackfoot Visual Arts Award in 2009, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003, the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005, and the REVEAL Indigenous Arts Award –Hnatyshyn Foundation in 2017.