Kent Monkman (1965-), History Is Painted by the Victors, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 182.9 x 287.7 cm. Denver Art Museum, gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum. © Kent Monkman
Kent Monkman (1965-), History Is Painted by the Victors, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 182.9 x 287.7 cm. Denver Art Museum, gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum. © Kent Monkman
Kent Monkman
A Canadian premiere!
Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Kent Monkman as you discover iconic and monumental works by this major Canadian artist and member of ocêkwi sîpiy (Fisher River Cree Nation). Through his subversive lens, he revisits the major genre of history painting to offer a new perspective on colonial narratives.
History painting is a term that was introduced by the French Royal Academy in the 17th century to describe large-scale paintings with historical, mythological, or biblical subjects. Representing the peoples and territories that have shaped the Turtle Island (North America) of today, Monkman’s works both draw on and subvert the conventions of this genre to address contemporary societal concerns. Central among them are: the climate crisis and environmental protection, the impact of government policies on Indigenous communities, intergenerational trauma, and the affirmation of Two-Spirit, queer and trans Indigenous communities’ identities.
The exhibition includes works on loan from Canadian and American museums as well as a selection from the MMFA’s collection.
Kent Monkman (born in 1965) is an interdisciplinary visual artist. A member of ocêkwi sîpiy (Fisher River Cree Nation) in Treaty 5 Territory (Manitoba), he lives and works in New York City and Toronto.
Known for his thought-provoking interventions into Western European and American art history, Monkman explores themes of colonization, sexuality, loss, and resilience – the complexities of historical and contemporary Indigenous experiences – across painting, film/video, performance, and installation. Monkman’s gender-fluid alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, often appears in his work as a time-travelling, shape-shifting, supernatural being who reverses the colonial gaze to challenge received notions of history and Indigenous peoples.
Kent Monkman. Photo Aaron Wynia
Credits and curatorial team
An exhibition organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Denver Art Museum.
The exhibition was curated by Léuli Eshrāghi, Curator of Indigenous Practices at the MMFA, and John Lukavic, the Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Native Arts, Denver Art Museum.
