Kent Monkman

Kent Monkman (born in St. Mary, Ontario in 1965) is an artist of Cree origin. His works combine traditional images with the narratives and perspectives of Indigenous peoples. Themes like colonialism, sexuality, and historical and contemporary Indigenous experiences lie at the heart of his pieces. In large-scale paintings, films, and performances, Monkman brings to light violent episodes in the history of North America’s Indigenous peoples. By using humor and critical commentary he tries to subvert Canada’s colonial myths, which have been cultivated over centuries.

Acrylic on canvas, 304 x 259 cm

In his painting The Deluge, Kent Monkman links the biblical subject of the universal flood with North American colonial history. Drawing on the traditions of Western historical and ecclesiastical painting, he creates a lively composition that addresses the violent displacement of the Indigenous peoples of North America by European settlers. The hero of his painting is Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, Monkman’s alter ego, who is climbing up a steep rock face with two Indigenous children to save them from the deluge of settlers and deliver them safely into the hands of their ancestors. The artist views Miss Chief as being a “two- spirit” person, a figure who fulfills a traditional ceremonial role as a member of the “third gender” in many Indigenous cultures. She is a strong figure who, embedded in Western-style imagery, breaks with stereotypical depictions and turns the underlying colonial power relations upside down. She celebrates the resilience of Indigenous peoples and their unbroken bonds with the land and their culture.