Nicholas Galanin (b. 1979; Tlingit/Unangax̂)’s work engages contemporary culture from his perspective rooted in connection to the land. He embeds incisive observation into his work, investigating intersections of culture and concept in form, image and sound. Galanin’s works embody critical thought as vessels of knowledge, culture and technology – inherently political, generous, unflinching, and poetic.
Galanin engages past, present and future to expose intentionally obscured collective memory and barriers to the acquisition of knowledge. His works critique the commodification of culture while contributing to the continuum of Tlingit art. Galanin employs materials and processes that expand dialogue on Indigenous artistic production, and how culture can be carried. His work is in numerous public and private collections and exhibited worldwide. Galanin apprenticed with master carvers, earned his BFA at London Guildhall University, and his MFA at Massey University, he lives and works with his family in Sitka, Alaska.
Exhibit #
Threat Return
Threat Return (2023), originally commissioned for the Liverpool Biennial, consists of seven bronze sculptures in traditional busts that evoke Indigenous American and African basketry and portraits of ski-masked robbers. Installed on concrete plinths in the Oak Room at Union Station—the main railway station and transportation hub in Toronto—the sculptures operate as a ghostly presence that […]
September 21 – December 1
Donors & Supporters
Exhibit #
Never Forget
Never Forget (2021) is a photograph that documents a site-specific installation consisting of fourteen-metre letters that references the Hollywood sign, originally erected as HOLLYWOODLAND to promote whites-only development. The installation is a compelling invitation for settler landowners to participate by transferring land titles and management to local Indigenous communities and, most importantly, to support the […]
September 21 – December 1
