Amphibian14, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, KAST, MaRvIN StRAnGE, Nigel Z: God Save The Queen

Curated by Chris Bose

Opening Friday, September 13, 8pm — part of SWARM

God Save the Queen is inspired by the heavy curtain of colonialism that still hangs over Canada and the spirit of rebellion that was once crystallized by the Sex Pistols anti-Jubilee anthem, “God Save The Queen”. The question “How do you feel about living under the yoke of the British Crown to this day?” has been posed to First Nations artists and non-native artists producing a spectrum of responses.

After the opening on Friday, September 13, join UNIT/PITT and 221A for a SWARM after-party and grand opening of our joint venture, 236 East Pender, starting at 10 pm.

KAST My art all started when I was younger, I guess, but the art I mostly do now is not seen as an artistic art form, as we writers see it, but it is viewed as vandalism, trash, crime, even gang related! Although we are unwanted, we still thrive in an urban environment. Art is not just a hobby that brings a little light of joy into the dark night where I wonder. Mostly, it’s my lifestyle. I’ve been painting graff for around twelve years now, with a few breaks, but it has led me to other forms of art. I’ve had no professional training, besides watching a few Bob Ross shows, and was a solo graffiti artist most of the time. I started painting landscapes with oil in 2008 and now have combined the two forms together to form my own little think which pushes me in a direction.

MaRvIN StRAnGE I started sculpting when i was 16. Started working in a scrap yard and taking things home, rooting in garbage and things just came together. Started sculpting again in the last 3 years. I use anything i can get my hands on: knives, dremels, drills, torches, lighters, whatever’s handy at the time. when i sit down to sculpt, something else takes over: MaRvIN StRAnGE. when i come to, it’s in front of me, what inspires me really. I want to take people’s preconceptions of art and step all over them.

Bracken Hanuse Corlett is a multimedia Northwest Coast artist hailing from the Wuikinuxv and Klahoose Nations.  He has worked as a news writer for Redwire Magazine, and is the Co-founder and Co-coordinator of the newly formed Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival.  He is a graduate of the En’owkin Centre of Indigenous Art and is currently in his final year at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He has also studied Northwest Coast art, carving and design from acclaimed Heiltsuk artists Bradley Hunt and his sons Shawn Hunt and Dean Hunt.  Some of his notable exhibitions have been at Elliott Louis Gallery, Grunt Gallery, Gallery Gachet (Vancouver), Three Walls Gallery (Chicago) SAW Gallery (Ottawa) and The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art (Kelowna).

Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician and filmmaker. He is a war party baby born of the N’laka’pamux and Secwepemc Nations in BC, and currently spends his time in Kamloops BC.