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I like how he contrasts Indigenous shapes with modern technology.

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people."

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people."

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I like how he expresses his Indigenous culture through cereal, because it's very unique and I love cereal.

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I like how he frames the destruction of FN culture the same way the government would have framed it to the public, putting it into a different perspective.

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I really like how Sonny Assu finds really popular and common things and turn it into something that relates to the First Nations. It really helps bring awareness to others and remind them what land they are on

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I like how he mixes Indigenous art styles with a modern comic style. (spooderman)

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This was very intriguing to me because it's showing how colonisers saw indigenous land as a product to take.

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This was very interesting to see as he uses more modern and less indigenous items to express the indigenous things.

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"On her first day, excited and nervous about her newly granted rights, she was confronted with an instance of racism that haunted all her life. Her pride turned to shame, faced with being nothing more than a dirty Indian."

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I really like how he compares indigenous past to video games. Another thing that I really like is how channels his culture into his paintings.

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"Canadians have a stereotypical view of themselves. We perceive ourselves as a utopian, just, and  tolerant society. We perceive ourselves to be free of discrimination, free of hate, and accepting of others. However, we rarely uphold that stereotype when it comes to the people who we continue to oppress."

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"My work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."

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"As we reflect on the colonial state of Canada's 150th anniversary, we need to question what exactly it is that we are celebrating."

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I like how Sonny Assu uses more modern technology and art styles to honor First Nations tribes.

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I find the way he expresses his culture through popular everyday things really cool.

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I like how this work represents the indigenous lands mixed with nature in a beautiful way.

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i really like how he takes popular common things and mixes and involves the First Nations culture to it i think its really cool and unique.

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“This work theorizes how propaganda could have been used as a tool used to influence Canadians on the “Indian Problem”.

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This piece draws upon the theories and explorations within my larger body of work. Addressing my thoughts on decolonization, the large foreground shape invokes notions of graffiti, "tagging" the colonial landscape to become a metaphor to speak to the resurgence for Indigenous rights and title.

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people."

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I really like how Sonny Assu used a popular drink and used it to relate to the first nations and how people took their land.

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The way Sonny Assu expresses his culture through meals is very creative. By doing this, more people can recognize the indigenous culture and respect it.

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It really interests me on how Sonny Assu shows and represents indigenous culture through popular iconic cereal brands.

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I like how it reflects the future of our science and technology development.

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"Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."

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I like how Sonny Assu can find artwork in seemingly useless things

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"Historically, dominant cultures and ruling authorities have taken it upon themselves to preserve artifacts from perceived lesser societies, displaying the objects in galleries as a sign of their own wealth and authority."

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this is like a piece of wood but it actually has deeper meaning because its supposed to be a mask but unfinished or something so I like that.

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people. I often infuse my work with wry humour in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada.  Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."                            -Sonny Assu

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people. I often infuse my work with wry humour in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada.  Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."                            -Sonny Assu

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I like how he combined both indigenous shapes, bright modern colours as well as comic book pages together.

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I enjoy how he can combine both modern land and indigenous elements into his art. The way they're mixing with each other is really beautiful and bold.

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"There Is Hope, If We Rise challenges all Canadians to take a stand to preserve the fabric of this country, while forging a new relationship with the Indigenous First Nations to balance out the inequality and abject poverty that some First People are subject to."

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Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.

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I like how he uses modern art (comic style) to connect and relate to the viewers now. I also like how he combines the modern style to spread awareness of the Indigenous culture and history.

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“The message for Canadians was to support colonialism and the Indian Act, which is an oppressive bill of segregation that is still law in Canada today.”

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Sonny assu likes to find meaning in things that you would normally not notice, like this piece of wood, and the sell it for a very high price

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"Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."

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"In the end, the wave of colonialism relined indigenous nations to the confines of imposed boundaries, only visible and enforceable by settlers with magic eyes." -The Paradise Syndrome

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people."

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people."

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"Through this work I challenge the institutions to collect remnants of our consumption culture."

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"Today, we show our prosperity by accumulating posh, inanimate objects."

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What interested me about this piece was the materials used and the image conveyed. "Both maple and copper are materials conceptualized with inherent wealth, yet here they both function and challenge the notion of the Duchampian readymade."

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I thought this design was creative and gives a sense of nostalgia and adds a cute twist to the classic logo. The story behind it is more meaningful, as it shows how the colonizers objectified and sold the sacred land of the indigenous peoples as a fun "product" for others to enjoy, disregarding and devaluing the people.

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I like how the image looks like how the painting is able to also look like a happy guy

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This was very interesting to me because the way they did this was very catchy, and its really cool how he incorporates his culture in things that were not part of indigenous Community.

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"Instances like the Komagata Maru, Japanese internment, Chinese Head Tax, and the legacy of genocide and continued contentious treatment of the First People are blights on Canada's perceived tolerant and welcoming image."

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i really liked this because i enjoyed seeing Sonny include both nature and indigenous art. It really makes this piece stand out.

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"As we reflect on the colonial state of Canada's 150th anniversary, we need to question what exactly it is that we are celebrating."

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There a few interesting things about this piece. The first is that the original painting (The Indian Church) was created by  Emily Carr, and Sonny Assu attended ECU. Another is that they took a piece and put his own indigenous art over a painted made by a caucasian person. He reclaimed a piece of art work and made it his own. the contrast is amazing, both with the colours and the style (what looks like digital art overlaying traditional painting). Painting is Re-invaders by Sonny Assu

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This eye like symbol is frequently presented as an outside force, it may or may not represent the god that the first nations worship, or their ideas of a possible god. The "trees" around the house are actually totem poles, which could symbolize the presence of nature and land around their common living place. Even though the eye is a completely different color compared to the rest of the art, it takes the shape of many other things in first nation art.

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I love how he uses well known objects/brands and makes his own influenced beautiful art

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"Could we really contextualize the pre-colonial gaze, given we are living within a colonial construct? The question in and of itself, whether it can be answered or not, is an act of decolonization. To invoke decolonial theory, we free ourselves from the colonial subjugation of our art, art history, and conceptual theory" -Sonny Assu

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I don't know if the picture is showing but its #ChallengeAccepted

I thought it was cool looking, being maybe a smaller piece of the bigger picture.

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"Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."

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"1UP is a nostalgic nod to my childhood. I'd spend hours locked away in my room, or a cousin's basement, playing Sonic The Hedgehog, WonderBoy or Altered Beast. I'd hoard quarters, normally spent in the arcade, and raid my grandfather's change dish just to get the latest 8-bit or 16-bit games, wrapped in the iconic Sega grid packaging."

I can relate

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I like the way he expressed the silence of the indigenous culture in the past and how no one bothered to reveal the truth of the past.

General Artist Statement

The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people. I often infuse my work with wry humor in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada.

Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America.

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Silenced - Sonny Assu _ Interdisciplinary Artist _ sonnyassu.com

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I chose this piece because it's so cool how Sonny Assu combines comics and traditional First Nations art. Also the colors are very nice and it's just a really cool piece.

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I like how Sonny Assu can communicate messages in abstract art.

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I often infuse my work with wry humour in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada. -Sonny Assu

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I like how he sticks to a style for every series of paintings, like for example here, he has a lot of drawings that are in this same style and colours.

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I really like this because it stands out a lot and grabs my attention. I like how Sonny showed how the Coast Salish territory isn't a territory we can just buy or take like a product.

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I like how he takes popular cereal brands and changes them to represent FN culture

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"As we acknowledge this anniversary, I question what we have learned from "our" history."

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people. I often infuse my work with wry humour in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada.

Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."

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I like how he uses bright colours and talks about the discrimination towards first nations

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This piece caught my eye cause I thought it was really creative. I've never seen anything like it and the message and execution of the piece were both perfect. It's also so passive aggressive

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i like this one because sonny takes everyday things and turns it into something meaningful, allowing people to take the time to read it because of the famous logo.

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Sonny Assu took a popular drink logo and turned it into an indigenous art so that it relates to them.

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I like how we use liked items and design them to make a more meaningful purpose and show background to things that reminds of what land we are on.

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"As we acknowledge this anniversary, I question what we have learned from "our" history."

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I like how he shows what happened in the past by making a game called broken treaties representing the Europeans breaking the treaty against the First Nations peoples.

"I often infuse my work with wry humour in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada."

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¨While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter, they are considered worthless by the developer and the consumer¨.

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To invoke decolonial theory, we free ourselves from the colonial subjugation of our art, art history, and conceptual theory.

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"She was confronted with an instance of racism that haunted all her life. Her pride turned to shame, faced with being nothing more than a dirty Indian."

I like this quote because it shows how it was like for Sonny's grandmother and how she was treated.

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I like how Sonny Assu uses modern and popular items to express his indigenous message.

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"As we reflect on the colonial state of Canada's 150th anniversary, we need to question what exactly it is that we are celebrating."

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i like this art piece because it reminds people that we are on Coast Salish territory and it's kind of sarcastic in that way. I like how it uses a popular brand to present this message.

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I like how he puts in two different art types to make the artwork pop out more. I like how it also reflects technology

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i like this piece of art because he used everyday things to remind us that we're in coast salish territory

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i chose this photo because it gives a really creative sense of nostalgia with the iconic Coco-Cola, it also allows people to take time to read it because it is a famous logo.

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Coke Salish - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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Coke Salish - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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I really like this piece as it shows the connection between traditional artwork identity and Sonny Assu's childhood

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My fav drink is coke so I found this cool.

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I like how without taking a closer look at the art you wouldn't realize that it doesn't Coke-a-Cola it instead reads "Enjoy, Coast Salish Territories".

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Coke Salish - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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Coke Salish - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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"As a painting and collage series, the Speculator Boom forms a deeper investigation of the importance of comic books in my life and in my work, which is not uncommon to my practice. The Challenging Tradition series (2001-2007), paired a specific moment in time when I uncovered my Ligwiłda’xw heritage. This series I melded pop and consumer iconography of that era with Kwakwakaʼwakw art, mythos and social structures. " - Sonny Assu's statement on "Specular Boom"

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I like how he expressed Coast Salish through a coca cola design, I think its very creative I also love coke

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I liked this piece because it shows a game-like console, with a fighting game montage shown on the screen, but the title is broken treaties, showing us that it’s a symbol for the colonization of the First Nations, and how they paid (insert coin) just to have their treaties broken.

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I like how he can uses a PEZ dispenser to display first nations art.

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Rez Pez (Illustration) - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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Rez Pez (Illustration). Digital Image 2004

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this piece of art interests me because it shows how colonizers came to the indigenous land, it makes me think of how much was taken from them

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I really like how this uses the coke-a-cola art style with the font and everything. It such a simple piece but has a whole story behind it. I like how at them top left corner and bottom right corner it says "Enjoy Territory." It remind us that this isn't our native land and that we should know and respect the indigenous land we are living on.

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Coke Salish - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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Coke Salish - Sonny Assu | Interdisciplinary Artist | sonnyassu.com

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I like how the art has lots of different colors

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Interventions On The Imaginary - Sonny Assu _ Interdisciplinary Artist _ sonnyassu.com

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This movement, and these images, will challenge Canadians to rethink the self image of the utopian, just, and tolerant person. We pride ourselves on helping others around the world, but our blinders remain engaged while looking towards our own country.

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I like how Sonny Assu uses video games to honor the first nations people, and I feel like this is a good way to catch the eye of the younger generation.

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I like how the animal on the cover is drawn in the style of indigenous totem poles and the bright popping colours.
"Within this, my work deals with the loss of language, loss of cultural resources and the effects of colonization upon the Indigenous people of North America."

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I like how Sonny was able to take an everyday thing and use it to draw attention to his art to talk about an important message.

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"A lot of his presence can be felt in a number of my works. I just felt it was really important to keep carrying on his message of acceptance and defiance."
-sonny assu

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people. I often infuse my work with wry humor in an attempt to foster a dialogue; to speak to the realities of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada."

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"Welcoming Those They Did Not Want"

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I like this art piece because it takes the logo of a recognizable commercial brand, and expresses his culture and the Coast Sailish unceded territory at the same time.

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"The impetus behind my work is to bring to light the dark, hidden history of Canada's actions/inactions against the Indigenous people."