2021 | NICO WILLIAMS (ᐅᑌᒥᐣ)
ATAASON | ILS EMMAGASINENT | THEY STORE IT
MONTREAL
Nov 06 - Jan 22

Nico Williams, ᐅᑌᒥᐣ

ataason |  ils emmagasinent | they store it

In his first exhibition at Blouin Division, Nico Williams draws parallels between traditional Indigenous basketry and found objects, beading in plastic and glass the disposable vessels of our consumer age. The works depict the shapes and patterns of found cereal boxes, Kraft Dinner® containers, and plastic shopping bags. Where the Anishinaabe mukuk has traditionally been passed from generation to generation and used for gathering in nature, these contemporary receptacles are intended for single use and point to the issue of food sovereignty on reserves in Canada.

Made with hundreds of glass and plastic beads, Williams's work combines humour with critical perspective. In his status card titled Rock on, a playful self-portrait of the artist sheds light on the card’s colonial symbolism. Elsewhere, his Starlite Variety bag is a nod to present-day food retail spaces, its logo sourced from a London (ON) convenience store. Inside the bag, fresh cedar alludes to the making of tea and an abiding indebtedness to the land.