Category: Present

A View From Above — Remembering Preston Buffalo

October 15 – December 11, 2026

SUM gallery is proud to present A View From Above, a solo retrospective exhibition celebrating the life and work of Preston Buffalo, curated by Jordan King. Preston Buffalo was a Two-Spirit Cree artist who lived and worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, excelling in a variety of arts practices, including photography, printwork, sculpture, digital art, and augmented reality. A View From Above is the first retrospective of the artist since his sudden passing in 2024, running from October 15 to December 11, 2026 at SUM gallery, with an opening reception on Thursday October 15 2026, 6 – 9pm, and an intimate in-person discussion with curator Jordan King on Saturday October 17, 2026 at 2pm.

OPening Reception Registration

Based in Vancouver for many years on Coast Salish Territories, Buffalo began his explorations in art through drag, self portraiture and performance in the queer night club scene where he met his best friend and oft collaborator of 25 years, Jordan King; an interdisciplinary artist working in performance, photography and writing, now based in Toronto. In A View From Above, King honours her dear late friend by way of a thoughtful curation of his works over the years and through a sharing of memories in the exhibition companion catalogue, Complex Curiosities.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Preston Buffalo was a Two-Spirited Cree artist originally from Treaty 6 Territory, who resided in the unceded Coast Salish Territories of British Columbia until his untimely passing in 2024. His interdisciplinary practice involved the exploration of personal Indigenous iconography and symbolism, utilising photography, alternative photo processes, and digital illustration. Motivated by the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, Preston’s work touched upon themes such as mental health, cultural and linguistic loss due to displacement, the impact of the residential school system, and the process of assimilation. His critically lauded 2024 SUM gallery exhibition, Go Home Yuppie Scum, explored these themes via his interest in stereoscopic art, including 3D anaglyph art, repurposed View Masters, and augmented reality. This final exhibition before his death encouraged new perspectives on Indigenous art, emphasising its significance in contemporary society and its contribution to an ongoing dialogue. 

ABOUT THE CURATOR
Jordan King is a Canadian multi-disciplinary artist, performer, curator and writer, her practice rooted in archival research and intergenerational connectivity. She completed a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Curatorial Practice at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada in 2024. https://jordankingarchive.com/ 

Phytogram Workshop

September 27, 2026 | 11-5pm

Prioritizing Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Artists
In partnership with Full Circle: First Nations Performance

Join SUM gallery for a cameraless Phytogram Workshop, facilitated by KJ Edwards (Kanien’kehá:ka, mixed-settler interdisciplinary artist). Phytograms, first coined by artist Karel Doing, are made by soaking plant material in an eco-friendly developer and placing them directly onto the film. This workshop will teach the participants to mix the developer, and to apply their chosen plants onto 16mm and 35mm B&W film, creating imprints of the plants within the emulsion. Folks will also learn how to fix and splice their film for projection. KJ will demonstrate how to use and load a 16mm projector.

*This workshop does not require camera experience or analogue film experience.

Please fill out the following form to participate in the Phytogram Workshop:

PHYTOGRAM WORKSHOP FORM

This workshop will require a few hours outdoors at a nearby park, a few blocks away from SUM gallery for the making of the phytograms. All other aspects of the workshop will take place indoors at SUM gallery. *In the case of rain we may have to do the workshop indoors. SUM gallery is fully accessible, however transport is not provided to and from the park. The group will be travelling by foot and/or assistive device to and from the offsite location. 

Light snacks and beverages will be provided, however we ask that you please bring your own lunch. There are also several affordable options in the area for pick up.

As this workshop will take the full 6 hours, we ask that folks please arrive a bit early to avoid traffic and other potential delays. Participants will be able to take their phytogram film home with them the same day.