Kyle Williams – Kahnawake exhibits his artwork at Montreal's Art Mûr gallery

The Art Mûr is dedicating a permanent space for Indigenous art and the first artist to exhibit their work is Kahnawake Mohawk Kyle Williams. His traditional beliefs are central to his work as an artist.

William's beliefs are reflecected in his multidisciplinary artwork through a series of paintings and drawings on exhibition this month at Montreal gallery Art Mûr. The exhibit opened on Saturday, August 14th and will run until Saturday, September 18th, 2021.

Williams told CBC's Ka'nhehsí:io Deer, "What I'm excited about the most is actually seeing people see them and seeing their reactions. Everyone knows photos don't do artwork justice. To actually really see it live in person, is a great thing."

Williams's artwork includes portraitures and landscapes with large concrete structures and skyscrapers with paintings depicting the Honoré Mercier Bridge. Mercier Bridge was constructed on Kahnawake's territory and is a main artery connecting the island of Montreal and South Shore suburbs.

Williams exhibit will show for the first-time original pieces of artwork that were featured in downtown Montreal light installation in 2020 as part of an effort to get Montrealers to learn more about the Haudenosaunee. The installation was a project by the downtown merchants' association, and created by ISM Art & Design, a commercial design company, in collaboration with the MCK.

Much of William's work focuses on the Peacemaker, "His central function and his central metaphor was to bring the five nations together," he told Deer.

"His metaphor for it was breaking an arrow in half and saying, 'Look, guys, it's not strong because it's only one' but then he puts five together. He flexes them and they don't break. That visually is what I needed to portray."

According to CBC, 'The new space exhibition was organized by the Biennale d'art contemporain autochtone (BACA), a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Art Mûr to support contemporary Indigenous art through exhibitions every two years. It inaugurates a new space to foster the next generation of Indigenous artists, dedicated to the presentation of individual exhibitions and emerging curators between the biennials."

"I think it's long overdue and we certainly need the representation," said MC Snow, who curated Williams's show and is also a member of BACA's board of directors.

"There's a couple of new Native galleries that are opening up in Montreal and we're all starting to get to know each other. I think especially during these times of reconciliation, we're more in the spotlight. It definitely helps with our visibility."

MC Snow, who is also a Kanien'kehá:ka artist from Kahnawake, is curating Williams exhibition. This will be his first curation.

"It's really nice to take a break from actually producing art and to get to meet other artists and work in the galleries," said Snow told CBC.

"It's a great way to work. I really love to promote other Native artists to help give other people their starts."