The Midland Cultural Centre (MCC) hosts a special touring exhibit over the next few months called the Red Chair Sessions.
“The artist, Nadya Kwandibens, has photographed 35 First Nations people, each at a place of their choosing,” former MCC board chair and well-known local artist John Hartman told Village Media. “The photographs are thematically brought together by a red chair in each.”
Kwandibens, an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) artist from the Animakee Wa Zhing No. 37 First Nation in northwestern Ontario, gave short talk about her work at the opening on Thursday in the MCC’s Gallery of Indigenous Art.
Organized by The Muse Douglas Family Art Centre, the touring exhibit invites viewers to delve into an exploration of identity, land and language through a series of powerful portraits.
The Red Chair Sessions is "more than just a collection of photographs; it is an ongoing testament to the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples,” a release noted.
Through an open-call portraiture series, organizers say Kwandibens brings to light the importance of "acknowledging and reclaiming Indigenous lands while revitalizing Indigenous languages … the series challenges viewers to recognize their roles as stewards of the land."
At the heart of the series lies the symbolic red chair, representing Indigenous Peoples on the Medicine Wheel and symbolizing their connection to the land and ancestral bloodlines.
Each portrait, whether the subject is sitting in or standing beside the red chair, serves as a reminder of everyone’s collective responsibility to honour and protect the lands upon which we stand, the release noted.
Accompanying each photograph is text in the subject’s respective Indigenous language or a mix of languages. This text may include names gifted in ceremony, the nation to which they belong, and the place names of traditional and treaty areas where each session occurred.
"The Red Chair Sessions also serves as a celebration of Indigenous achievements, offering a positive perspective for future generations,” the release stated. “By showcasing the resilience, strength and beauty of Indigenous Peoples, the exhibition honours their enduring legacies and contributions to society.”
The Red Chair Sessions will be at the downtown Midland gallery until June 28.
