worn inward

KILLA ATENCIo

JORDAN BENNETT

BRANDY BERNARD

DARCIE BERNHARDT

FLORA MAY

BRANDON HOAX

GESIG ISAAC

NATASHA ROOT

ARIELLE TWIST

CURATOR: AIDEN GILLIS

Sep 29 - Dec 5, 2020

Survival meant walking through the world with languages and cultural ties tucked under sleeves – worn inward. Words displaced from tongues of descendants; skin eager for stories told through ink.

Diving into museum collections, eight emerging Indigenous artists from across the continent participated in group discussions and workshops while exploring self-representation through adornment and wearable design.

Worn Inward hosts a collection of multimedia practices including photography, painting and embroidery, shedding layers of self-preservation in celebrating ongoing survivance.

Responding to Mi’kmaw artist Jordan Bennett’s 2018 – 2019 exhibition Ketu’elmita’jik [they want to come home] at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, these sentiments are carried over through designs that speak to the active presence and perseverance of Indigenous identities and worldviews. Self-representation results in a visibility that spreads pride; a fire that sparks confidence and ignites change.

This exhibition was made possible with the generous support of RBC Foundation, Lydon Lynch Architects, and Mark Bursey & Jane Wells.