Join us Tuesday, October 22, 6 to 8 pm for the opening celebration of Out of Concealment - Female Supernatural Beings of Haida Gwaii!

The Vancouver premiere of the solo exhibition by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson is an innovative re-imagining of supernatural beings from Haida Gwaii mythology. Curated by Beth Carter, in consultation with Nika Collison, Out of Concealment foregrounds an Indigenous ethos of environmentalism by honouring the power and sexuality of Indigenous women—inherent values that were disrupted and suppressed by colonization.

“Out of Concealment reinterprets ancient knowledge for a contemporary audience, introducing new ways of understanding the environment through timeless Indigenous oral traditions and ethnographic writings about supernatural beings,” says Carter, curator of Bill Reid Gallery. “Traditional Haida beliefs have a balance of male and female forces and emphasize the interconnectedness of all things. Particularly in light of the recent #MeToo movement and the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, this exhibition shares important ancestral wisdoms key to unlocking the violences that have occurred against First Nations peoples.”

The exhibition shares vibrant representations of supernatural beings through photographic collages that combine contemporary fashion trends, traditional face painting from the artist’s clan (Gaagyals KiiGawaay, also known as the Skedans clan), and historic locations in Haida Gwaii. Many of the works feature subtle integrations of art by Robert Davidson, as well as Williams-Davidson herself as the subject. Some of the supernatural beings introduced in the exhibition include ‘Laa.a Jaad (Fine Weather Woman), who controls the Northeast Wind and is a Raven, and Jiila Kuns (Volcano Woman), a powerful ancestress of many Eagle lineages of Haida Gwaii.

Out of Concealment first premiered at the Haida Gwaii Museum in 2017 accompanied with a full-colour publication of the exhibition. The Vancouver premiere will feature a new sculptural work, Plastic Woman, which is made of plastic found on the beaches of Haida Gwaii. The piece builds on the themes of the exhibition, drawing attention to environmental issues.