SONNY ASSU sculptures from the Longing series appear at first to be traditional wood- carved masks from an ancient indigenous people, a reading encouraged by the method of display and reinforced by the artist’s heritage as a member of We Wai Kai Nation (native people of Quadra Island, British Columbia). Instead these “masks” are found objects. They are the discarded waste of logging operations on un-ceded tribal territory—property leased out to a developer of custom log-homes for the wealthy. This paradoxical arrangement seems inher- ently exploitative, as natural resources set apart for a native people are consumed for profit. Here Assu reclaims the remnants as original native handiwork.
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