a collection of oil and acrylic paintings
Acrylic on canvas
Acrylic on canvas, 30”x36” and 20”x24”, 2017
The artist produced seven variations of these paintings for cancer clinic locations and funder’s offices across greater Vancouver. The paintings depict two people dressed in Hudson Bay coats and sashes, traditional to the Métis peoples. They stand on the ice with their backs to the viewer as they on-look the full moon over the mountains. The landscape is dream-like but clearly represents a familiar northern B.C exterior. The artist’s intent with these paintings is to announce a feeling of harmony, friendship and hope for the path ahead. The title, Tipiskâw pîsim means ‘the moon’ in the Cree language.
Oil and Acrylic on canvas, 16" x 24"
Oil on acrylic paper, 8" x 11"
acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"
Acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"
Acrylic on canvas, 4 ft x 4 ft
A collection of multi-media illustrations
Four part graphite drawings for a recent book project.
Pen and Ink, on sketch book paper, based off a photo, 4.5" x 6.5"
Acrylic and gouache on illustration board 8.5" x 11.5"
pen and ink, on illustration board, 8.5" x 11.5"
Water color, pen and ink on water color board, 8" x 11"
Pen and ink, felt tipped marker, on sketch book paper, 8.5" x 11.5"
Water color, marker, ink pen, 4"x 5"
Charcoal and graphite, on hot press mix media paper, 16" x 24"
gouache on recycled card paper, available for print, 8.5" x 11"
Pen and ink, 8.5" x 11.5"
Mixed media stickers, card, pen and ink, scanned in doily, available for print, 8.5" x 11.5"
India ink on water soluble paper, 9"x 12"
Gouache on canvas 5" x 7"
Comic, Pen and ink, digital, 2018
The Land Defenders was made as part of a class project to create a comic that featured the theme of zeitgeist. I chose to set my comic in a speculative future, in a small radical commune, inside of a large city. The story follows 3 youth and an elder who is Indigenous to the region as they go walking and discuss the incredible pain and joy the planet has faced, and the importance of healing. The mediums used are pen and ink on paper and digital coloring.
This is a series of portraits created to celebrate female-identified artists, writers, and activists. The purpose of this project is to illuminate women who in diverse ways are creating radical change through their work.
Savanna Todd featured some of her relatives in this project, as well as friends she met through the art's and activism scene of Vancouver, B.C (the unceded Coast Salish territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples).
With a primary focus on women who are minorities, ‘Who Is She’ encourages us to celebrate these aspects of one another as we live under a dominant order that is built to oppress minorities.
The material displayed here is just the beginning of ‘Who Is She’. Savanna Todd hopes to grow this project into an entity that will continue to shed light on the people of this world who deserve equal recognition and respect as their more systemically privileged counterparts.
Tia Taurere-Clearsky is a social justice media artist as well as a proud mother of six. Tia is a business owner, Whaea Productions that specializes in Indigenous Media Initiatives. She is Native to Aotearoa, New Zealand and lives on the Coast Salish Territory of Turtle Island, North America. Check out her work at www.whaeaproducitons.com
"I follow my heart, my instincts, the voices of my ancestors and I feel blessed. I am rich with family. I love my work because I meet and connect global indigenous communities. Building bridges and supporting each other in our struggles and triumphs"
Anisa is from the Otipemisiwak People; The People Who Belong to Themselves. She is Plains Cree-Métis with roots in St Paul de Métis Settlement and Whitefish (Goodfish) Lake First Nation, Alberta, and her historic roots go back to Red River, Manitoba. Her family names are Todd, Laframboise, Desjarlais and Cardinal. She is also part Persian, with extended family in Shiraz and Tehran. She is Métis Jigger and a Jingle Dress Dancer. She is a Twin Mother to Snuneymuxw/Hupacasath Boys, both of whom are Jiggers and Grass Dancers. She is the mom of a Cancer Survivor. She can ride a horse and run trail. She drives a Ford truck and wears Blundstones over Blahniks.
Anisa is the Chairperson/-founder of the Gladue Writers Society of British Columbia. She is a Gladue Practitioner for Legal Services Society (BC). She is the Principal at Nitotemak Justice Advisory Services.
Anisa holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce and a Bachelors Degree of Law. She lives in Snuneymuxw Territory (Nanaimo), British Columbia.
Anisa says if justice reform happens in her lifetime and she no longer has a job, she always has a food truck idea selling gluten free bannock, to fall back on.
"There has never been a more pressing time to disrupt the status quo of the Canadian Criminal Justice system. We're the ones we've been waiting for. We need to back up our words with actions."
Sandra Todd is a long-time, self-initiated
community volunteer. She is Cree-Metis from St Paul, Alberta. Her projects include facilitating the start-up of Innercity Youth Works in
Victoria, BC for homeless youth to set up and run their own businesses. She is a “Street Mom” to many of the homeless youth in Vancouver,BC. Sandra has a longtime project that assists street people in getting their valued pets taken care of at the veterinarian when needed. Her Facebook and phone contacts are always open for youth at risk to call if they are experiencing difficulties. Sandra is a mother to two talented daughters. Check out her TedX Talk called: “From Homeless Youth to Entrepreneurial Youth.”
Dina Del Bucchia is an author, and an instructor at The University of British Columbia, where she got her MFA in Creative Writing. Her book of fiction is Don’t Tell Me What To Do (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017). Her poetic collection includes, Blind Items (Insomniac Press, 2014), Coping with Emotions and Otters (Talonbooks, 2013), and Rom Com (Talonbooks, 2015) co-written with Daniel Zomparelli, who she also co-hosts with on Can‘t Lit, a podcast on Canadian litterature and culture.
She is a senior editor of Poetry Is Dead magazine and the Artistic Director of the Real Vancouver Writers’ Series. Check out more information on her at www.dinadelbucchia.com
Julie Flett is a Cree-Metis author, illustrator, and artist. She is the recipient of the 2017 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature for her work on When We Were Alone by David Robertson (High Water Press), the 2016 American Indian Library Association Award for Best Picture Book for Little You by Richard Van Camp (Orca Books), and she is the three-time recipient of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Award for Owls See Clearly at Night; A Michif Alphabet, by Julie Flett, Dolphin SOS, by Roy Miki and Slavia Miki (Tradewind Books), and My Heart Fills with Happiness, by Monique Gray Smith (Orca Books).
Her work focuses on Indigenous children’s literature and language resurgence. Julie currently lives in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories, with her son.
Brittney Appleby, also known by her performer name Bee Appletini, is a Vancouver resident visual artist and burlesque dancer. Artistically, she has worked in a wide array of materials, including textiles, painting and photography. She is an up and coming burlesque performer who has already participated in Screaming Chickens Theatrical Society, the Vancouver Burlesque Center and Kitty Nights Burlesque as well as some solo performances. As both a visual artist and performer, she is constantly shattering societal norms of gender expectations, while adding a vintage flair to everything she touches! Check out more of her fabulous self at @BeeAppletini on Instagram and her Facebook page
Michelle Sound is Swan River First Nation Cree and Red River Métis born and raised in Coast Salish territory. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Simon Fraser University, School for the Contemporary Arts, and her Master of Applied Arts from Emily Carr University Art + Design. Michelle is currently the Aboriginal Program Assistant at Emily Carr. Michelle has exhibited her artwork in Pushing Boundaries; Contemporary Indigenous Artand the Talking Stick Festival: Kwèykw`áystway: Speaking With One Another.
My artwork often explores my identity from a personal experience rooted in Family and history. My artwork continues traditional techniques and materials with a contemporary approach using dyes and paint. In a series of Elk hide drums I am creating celestial images that include imagery inspired by Star blankets. Star blanket quilts are created by Aboriginal women to honour people and significant events in their life. I am inspired by the many Aboriginal women throughout our communities who adapt, create and are the backbone of our families and communities. Along with starblanket designs I am interested in painting a series that explores the materials used in textile and cultural production. Recent paintings include references to rick rack, ribbons, seed beads, as abstractions or super imposed in landscapes, ie. Rick rack and a lake, or a close up detail of a ribbon skirt. I would like to exhibit the celestial drums and canvas with these smaller works in progress.
Xandra Hafermann is a actress, dancer & social advocate for transgender representation. Born and raised on coast Salish territory, Xandra’s family origins are British-colonizer, Mestizo-Mexican, African-American and German. Recently featured in Juliann McCandless’ book ‘Opposition’, Xandra talks about her experiences transitioning in her youth, identifying male privilege as trans women and her unique experiences with being mixed race. Xandra stared as ‘Miami’ In the underground queer film ‘So Long Suburbia’ by Samuel Shanahoy, a coming of age story for queer youth. Xandra currently resides in New York City, working to further her career as a creative and social advocate. Check out her Instagram @kidxandra
Acrylic paint, inkjet transfer, collage materials on illustration board, 16”x20”, 2017
This is a three part series intended to address some of the ways that Indigenous cultures have been misrepresented by settler-colonialist historians. By altering various photographs taken by American ethnologist and photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis. Through using paint and collage materials, I purposed a dialogue pertaining to the very nature of these photographs. Alone, these images serve an idealistic and misconstrued representation of Indigenous cultures but the incorporation of specific imagery pertaining to the realities faced by Indigenous peoples in a settler-colonial society directs the viewer to reconsider them in this way. I see this series as a way to shed light on an otherwise one-sided version of history as told through Curtis’ photographic process.
Acrylic paint, paint pen, xerox print, on illustration board, 16”x20”, 2017
Acrylic paint, inkjet transfer, collage materials on illustration board, 16”x20”, 2017
Acrylic paint, inkjet transfer, letterset, decorative paper on illustration board, 16”x20”, 2017