
Sho Sho Esquiro, Grace, also called Moma yeh estsu yeh Giyets’edih – Honouring our Mothers and Grandmothers, 2016. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Sho Sho Esquiro: Doctrine of Discovery
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver, BC
Award-winning designer, artist and activist Sho Sho Esquiro employs textiles, paintings, photographs and couture gowns to convey historical and contemporary traumas and losses experienced by Indigenous peoples under centuries of colonialism. At the same time, the exhibition statement tells us, she celebrates “the beauty, strength and resilience of First Nations communities.” Drawing on history-laden materials such as trade cloth, fur, beads and shells, she crafts exquisite garments underlain with potent political messages.