Beau Dick and the Ceremonial Art of Potlatch

A hereditary chief and master carver from the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw First Nation, Beau Dick was one of the most prominent and influential First Nations artists before his untimely passing in March 2017. His powerful sculptures, firmly rooted in the ceremonial culture of his ancestors, bridge the worlds of contemporary art, the potlatch traditions of the First Peoples of the Pacific North West and environmental activism.

In this talk John Cussans will discuss Beau’s work in relation to gift-giving, title-conferring and theatrical ceremonies that connect several First Nation groups, the legends informing some of his most powerful works and his copper-breaking actions against the Canadian government in 2013.