KC Adams: owîceskoyakinikewak

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KC Adams, “Nibi (detail from the installation "owîceskoyakinikewak"),” 2024

digital photograph, 48 by 40 inches (courtesy of the artist)

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 26, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Winnipeg-based artist KC Adams' exhibition owîceskoyakinikewak includes work created in partnership with community members. Sponsorship from TD Managed Investments and a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts enabled the gallery to bring Adams to Regina not only to share her work but also to work closely with the land and people of this place.

owîceskoyakinikewak, which means s/he shapes clay or mud, reflects KC Adams' (Ininnew/Anishinaabe/British) dedication to reviving the lost methods of crafting ceramic vessels used by the First Peoples of this land.

The vessels in the exhibition were made from clay dug from the earth in Regina and Lebret, Saskatchewan, with the participation of many individuals. With generous support from SaskCulture, Adams conducted workshops in to share the healing power of clay with local Indigenous women and ensure that this knowledge never goes silent again. Women learned from Adams how to dig clay, use woven fibres to reinforce the crumbly ceramic body, and tend to a wood-fueled blaze to fire the pots.

To shape mud is to be a creator. Not to breathe life into the sticky mire of earth mixed with water but to touch and form it into a blessing that nourishes human life. Nestled within an oval of downy ash, vessels modelled on ancient cooking pots await only a coating of oil to heat meals and bond communities together.

Recognizing the importance of community to owîceskoyakinikewak's creation, vessels made by participants Sybil Alexson, Larissa Cyr, Geanna Dunbar, Chantell Dubois, Alison Elsner, Karlie King, Melanie Monique Rose, Ethel Starblanket, Denita Starr, Reah Starr, and Judy Upton feature prominently in the installation.

The roundness of these pots signifies women's roles as child-bearers and protectors of water.

The exhibition, which includes digital photographs, a four-channel audio soundscape, grandfather rocks, wood ash, and clay vessels, creates a space to reflect on the revival of lost knowledge and traditions.

FREE CULTURE DAYS EVENTS

Gain a deeper understanding of the profound dialogue owîceskoyakinikewak stimulates between the past and the present through free activities sponsored by CultureDays.

Share and participate in experiences that activate an understanding of First Cultures and stewardship of the valuable land and water resources, including an artist talk at the University of Regina, interactive sound and electronics performances, and hands-on clay workshops for youth and adults.

Saturday, September 21, 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Clay Creations: Seed Bomb Workshop for Young Land Stewards

Friday, September 27, 12:00 - 1:00 PM, KC Adams' Artist's Talk at Art For Lunch, University of Regina

Friday, September 27, 4:00 - 5:00 PM, NIPIY: interactive, participatory sound event

Saturday, September 28, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, All My Relations: A Hands-On Sound Experience

Sunday, September 29 & Saturday, October 5, 2:00 - 5:00, Unearth Traditions of Working with Local Clay