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Kent Monkman
Kent Monkman, OC, artist, filmmaker (born 13 November 1965 in St. Marys, ON). Kent Monkman is among the most skilled and successful artists of his generation. He works with traditional painting techniques, and with performance, film and installation methods. Monkman explores aspects of his Indigenous heritage and homosexuality, often addressing issues pertaining to both gay and Indigenous history. He assumes the traditional First Nations persona of the trickster through his alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, to subvert the viewer’s expectations. His visually lush, often mural-sized paintings present inverted narratives of Indigenous/settler interactions. His work offers provocative, scathing critiques of Canada’s history and the way it has been recorded. He has received many awards and honours, including an IndspireAward, an Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and an honorary doctorate from OCAD University.