By Meghan Yuri Young
Video by Hyghly Alleyne and Eric Black

Multimedia artist Jay Soule’s Indigenous pop art shines light on Settler Canada’s atrocities — past and present

A four-metre-high pile of painted bison skulls is not a common sight at Harbourfront Centre. But during the 2021 Luminato Festival Toronto, it became one — with an important significance. Jay Soule’s powerful exhibit, Built on Genocide, drew attention to the mass killing of bison during the colonial railway expansion, as a way to dispossess Indigenous peoples. Creating under the name Chippewar — a mashup of his Chippewas of the Thames First Nation background and the word “warrior” — Jay uses graphic and visual arts to paint powerful messages about the reality of the colonization of Turtle Island.

Now You Know:

“I cried probably, like, five to 10 times [while recreating 1,300 bison skulls] … I imagined what my ancestors would have seen when they saw those massive piles of skulls that were 10 storeys tall.” — Jay Soule on his 2021 Luminato exhibit, Built on Genocide.

Jay Soule’s art is on sale now through his Instagram: @chippewar.

Toronto is home to many Indigenous arts and culture organizations that offer incredible experiences, read about them on our blog. Then, check out upcoming Indigenous-focused events in Toronto.