ART OF PEACE: Elizabeth Doxtater

Organized in partnership with the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University.

Presented in conjunction with the University’s Perspectives on Peace activities.
On view McMaster Museum of Art, McMaster University
14 January – 2 April 2016

Born and raised on the Six Nations Grand River Territory, Elizabeth Doxtater explores the ancient art form of cornhusk sculpting to express current historic, political, and traditional issues affecting First Nations people.

“As an art form, cornhusk is a pure catalyst to our ancestors,” she says. “Working with cornhusk is like reaching back and creating something that looks, smells, and feels like something from ancient times. Corn is still grown, harvested and the husk is still braided (for storing corn) just as it has been for thousands of years over many generations.’”

Recognition of this traditional art as fine art compelled her. “Everyone in the world sees The Last Supper, for example, and on some level knows what it is supposed to represent. I asked myself, where’s ours? If we had something, what would it be made of, what would it look like?”

These questions moved Doxtater to create a diorama of cornhusk dolls which symbolize the ratification of the Great Law as well as the Journey of the Peacemaker. This exhibition includes Doxtater’s First Council Fire installation of 100 figures—50 representing clan mothers and 50 representing chiefs encircling the Tree of Peace.

RECEPTION

Thursday, January 14, 6 – 8 pm

ARTIST TALK

Thursday, January 21, 12:30 pm
Watch the Recording of this talk HERE