Jinaháa

×

Expand

n/a

Guná, "The Gaslighter Chokes On Their Own Smoke," 2023, oil on canvas, 48" x 36"

Jinaháa

Megan (Guná) Jensen

Opening Thursday July 24th, 4-7pm

293 E 2nd Ave. Vancouver, BC

Jinaháa: (verbal noun) fate; taboo / the fate (usually a bad fate) that is sent to one, or to which one is drawn, as a result of oneʼs actions / in Lingít, this is a terrible fate waiting to fall upon a person or people for violating custom, and it may take generations to arrive.

Ceremonial/Art is thrilled to present Jinaháa by Tlingit artist Megan (Guná) Jensen; a collection of recent works that explore the nature of survivance and will. In Tlingit worldview, Jinaháa is not just “fate.”It is what arrives—sometimes generations later—when something sacred has been violated. It’s not always immediate, but it comes. This show is about that return. Each painting is an invocation and a confrontation. Together they form a ceremony of reclamation.

Guná's practice powerfully intertwines ancient Lingít designs with the historical context of oil painting, a medium deeply connected to European art history. This fusion creates a compelling irony, illuminating the complex discourse between Indigenous and non-Indigenous narratives. Native communities navigate a paradox of reclaiming and healing while simultaneously addressing their relationship with a colonized world. Guná’s paintings embody this tension, reflecting the reality that we cannot return to a time before the devastations of colonialism; however, she boldly demonstrates how we can interrogate and intervene. In her oil paintings, she incorporates complex Tlingit formline rich with historical weight and context, at times directly referencing the most famous painters of our century.

Please join us!