Credit

Kent Monkman (1965-), Sunday in the Park, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 182.9 x 243.8 cm. Collection of Belinda Stronach. © and image courtesy Kent Monkman

Credit

Kent Monkman (1965-), Sunday in the Park, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 182.9 x 243.8 cm. Collection of Belinda Stronach. © and image courtesy Kent Monkman

Until March 8, 2026

Kent Monkman

Name: Kent Monkman
Start: 2025-09-27
End: 2026-03-08
Location: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

History Is Painted by the Victors

Free for Members

The largest solo exhibition of Kent Monkman to date

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Kent Monkman through iconic and monumental paintings by this major Canadian artist and member of ocêkwi sîpiy (Fisher River Cree Nation). Through his subversive lens, he revisits history painting to challenge colonial narratives and offer new perspectives on the past and our present.

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 these issues 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.

Notice to parents and accompanying adults: This exhibition contains depictions of violence and nudity.

Consult the exhibition guide

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.

Monkman’s painting and installation works have been exhibited at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, the Royal Ontario Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Hayward Gallery, Kunstinstituut Melly, Musée d’art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne – Château de Rochechouart, Philbrook Museum of Art, Palais de Tokyo, and the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College. He has created site-specific performances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Ontario Museum, Compton Verney, in Warwickshire, and the Denver Art Museum. The artist has had two nationally touring solo exhibitions, Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience (2017-2020), and The Triumph of Mischief (2007-2010).

Monkman’s short film and video works, collaboratively made with Gisèle Gordon, have screened at festivals such as the Berlinale (2007, 2008) and the Toronto International Film Festival (2007, 2015). Monkman is an Officer of the Order of Canada (2023) and the recipient of the Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (2017), an honorary doctorate degree from OCAD University (2017), the Indspire Award (2014), and the Hnatyshyn Foundation Visual Arts Award (2014).

KENT MONKMAN | Dans son atelier / In his studio

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Kent Monkman (1965-), mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People): Resurgence of the People

The show is racy, … violent, radical, topical, melodramatic.

Ray Mark Rinaldi
– The Denver Post

Read the article

One of the most vital and provocative voices.

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Sonia Manalili and Kate Brown
Artnet

Nasty. Confrontational.

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Chadd Scott
Forbes

His inspiration, his technique […] are that of a Renaissance painter at the top of his game.

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Dakshana Bascaramurty
The Globe and Mail

Enrich your experience

We offer several ways to expand on your exploration of the exhibition’s themes. Check out our program!

● Guided tour

Guided tour of Kent Monkman: History Is Painted by the Victors

Until February 25, 2026

In addition to the activities offered at the Museum, enjoy 30 days of free access to an exclusive selection of outstanding films, courtesy of MUBI, Sponsor of the exhibition.

Publication

This richly illustrated publication, available in French and English, includes essays by the exhibition curators as well as prominent scholars and art historians. Ned Blackhawk, Brenda J. Child, Léuli Eshrāghi, Adrienne Huard, Bryan C. Keene, John P. Lukavic and Patricia Norby explore the artist’s work in depth, while addressing themes such as queer theory, historical and contemporary contexts, visual analysis and lived experience.

Available at the MMFA’s Boutique and Bookstore. MMFA Members enjoy a 10% discount on the retail price.

Become an MMFA Member

Join the great family of MMFA Members from $45 a year. You’ll enjoy numerous perks and benefits, including unlimited free access to all the exhibitions and collections as well as a wide variety of events and activities.

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Credit

Photo Thibault Carron

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.