Indigenous Beauty | Elements of Hip Hop: Graffiti and Break Dance

Indigenous Beauty is a program series presented by the Vancouver Art Gallery to amplify and centre Indigenous voices, providing a platform for Indigenous peoples to define themselves. The next programs in this series will focus on the elements of hip hop from the perspective of Indigenous artists.

The second virtual talk in the series will focus on the art of graffiti. Host Shadae Rose Johnson, Community Relations Coordinator of Indigenous Programs, will be joined by artists KC Hall, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Angela Miracle Gladue, Freeman Pinnecoose and Carrielynn Victor for an informal conversation about how graffiti has inspired their art practices and how they intertwine their cultures in their work.

This talk will be presented on Zoom and streamed live to the Gallery’s Facebook account here »

Questions? Submit them during the Zoom presentation using the Q&A function. You can also engage with your fellow attendees and panelists during the event using the Chat function.

New to Zoom? Learn how to register and attend a webinar here »

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

As this series evolves, we invite Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island to submit their program proposals for participation in an upcoming Indigenous Beauty presentation.

For more information and to submit your proposal, please contact Shadae Rose Johnson, Community Relations Coordinator of Indigenous Programs at sjohnson@vanartgallery.bc.ca.

Walk in Beauty. #VAGIndigenousBeauty

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

KC Hall was born in Bella Bella, BC, and was raised in East Vancouver. He is the grandson of hereditary Chief Irene (Wakas) Brown. At a very young age, KC always had an interest in illustration. In high school, he developed a passion for handwriting, lettering, and graffiti. After graduation, he began creating work on a larger scale, including paintings and drawings. While he was enrolled in the Northwest Coast Jewelry Program, KC became inspired by Nisga’a artist Robert Tait and the visual language of Northwest Coast formline. In 2016, KC designed and presented a blanket to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge while the royals were on a visit to BC. Currently, KC is creating work that can be described as unique and free-spirited. He is successfully combining traditional Northwest Coast design elements with his own distinctive style

Freeman Pinnecoose is a Dine, Ute, Jicarilla Apache from Santa Fe New Mexico underground  Grafittee Artist, this has been a way of life for him for over 15 years. He also practices other elements of Hip Hop, however will be joining in the VAG conversation about Indigenous HipHop Artist who practice graffiti.

Bracken Hanuse Corlett is an interdisciplinary artist hailing from the Wuikinuxv and Klahoose Nations. He initially worked in theatre and performance for five years and then shifted towards his current practice that fuses painting & drawing with digital-media, audio-visual performance, animation and narrative. He went to school at Emily Carr University of Art and Design while also receiving training in Northwest Coast art, design and carving from acclaimed Heiltsuk Artists Bradley Hunt and his sons Shawn and Dean. Working with and researching ancestral forms is central to his work as well as an openness to working with new media and tools. Much of his current process is collaborative, which includes working with youth, community and fellow working artists. He has exhibited, performed and screened his work locally and internationally and has received public art commissions in a handful of cities/territories.

Carrielynn Victor

Eastern Fraser Valley based artist Carrielynn is a descendant of Coast Salish ancestors that have been sustained by S’olh Temexw (their land) since time immemorial and Western European ancestors that settled around Northern Turtle Island beginning in the 1600’s. Carrielynn was born and raised in S’olh Temexw and nurtured by many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Along with owning and operating an art practice, Carrielynn maintains a communal role as a plant practitioner, and is the Manager of Cheam First Nation’s Environmental Consultancy. The philosophy and responsibilities of these land based communal roles are fundamental for informing the story, style and the details of Carrielynn’s artwork.

With ancient and modern design principles combined, Carrielynn’s professional artistic practice takes the form of murals, canvas paintings, drums, paddles and in recent years, illustrations for scientific reports and children’s books.

Angela Miracle Gladue aka Lunacee, is a nehiyaw (Cree)/Greek Interdisciplinary Artist from the Treaty 6 Territory of amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) and is a proud member of Frog Lake First Nation.

At age 6 she began cultural dancing through a Metis and Powwow dance program at her school – Prince Charles Elementary and performed regularly throughout western Canada with the Red River Wheelers and her school’s powwow performance group.

Her background in Hip-Hop dance began as a B-girl in 2003 through the influence, mentorship and collaboration of an Indigenous Hip-Hop performance group known as The Red Power Squad. She is also a member of The Fly Girlz Dance Crew who have trained with some of the originators, innovators, and pioneers of Hip-Hop Culture.

As an international artist, she has been invited to give master classes, perform, lecture and judge in countless communities throughout the world and continues to share her love for dance in Indigenous Communities and schools across Turtle Island (North America).

Since 2016, Angela has toured as one of the lead dancers for The Halluci Nation (Formally known as A Tribe Called Red) and has also performed alongside The Doors, Nelly Furtado, Buffy Sainte Marie, Lido Pimienta, Jeremy Dutcher, and Cris Derksen to name a few. She has opened up for major recording artists such as TLC, Sean Paul, Lil’ Kim, Maestro, GrandMaster Flash, Busta Rhymes, and the America’s Best Dance Crew tour.

Selected accomplishments include: Performing and choreographing at the 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2015 Indspire Awards (formally the National Indigenous Achievement Awards), 2016 PoundMaker Lodge Pow-Wow – Iron Woman Champion, choreographing and performing at the 2017 Juno Awards and 2016 PoundMaker Lodge Pow-Wow Iron Woman Champion, a World Hip-Hop Championship Bronze Medalist with her crew the FlyGirlz who also won 1st Place at the Canadian Hip-Hop Championships and are three time winners of Artists Emerge Dance Crew Competition.

She is also a recipient of the 2004 Nellie Carlson Aboriginal Youth Award, 2005 Heather Jacobs Memorial Award,  2008 Northlands Emerging Artist Award (Mayor’s Celebration for the Arts), 2015 Chief David Crowchild Memorial Youth Award for demonstrating outstanding community leadership by sharing Hip-hop and Powwow dance throughout the Province of Alberta.

As an emerging filmmaker, she has created several short films and documentaries that have been screened at the ImagiNATIVE Film Festival, Global Visions Film Festival, and Dreamspeakers Film Festival. Angela’s latest work titled “itohtêwin” (Goal of Journey, Destination) was featured at the 2nd Annual Online, Quick + Dirty: A festival of emerging artists and ideas, where she was selected as 1 of 8 emerging filmmakers in Alberta to receive mentorship to create the film.

Angela is also an emerging fashion designer, utilizing traditional beadwork techniques to create her own style of beaded jewelry she’s dubbed “Club Bangaz”. She established her own “Miss Chief Rocka” label in 2011 and has since created countless statement pieces for collectors internationally.

Her beadwork has been featured at A Space Gallery in Toronto, Ontario and The Âjagemô Gallery in Ottawa, Canada in an exhibition called ‘Thunderstruck: Physical Landscapes’. This piece now belongs in the collection of The Art Bank of Canada. More recently, she was a featured designer at Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto 2020, where she debuted her Club Wear Collection titled ᐄᐧᒉᐦᑐᐃᐧᐣ – wîcehtowin (Unity).