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Inside the eye-arresting portraits of Indigenous photographer Olivia Cox capture the raw beauty of her ancestral spirit, feminine allure, and self-identity. As a recipient of YVR Art Foundation’s<\/a> Emerging Artist scholarship<\/em><\/a> of 2023, Olivia\u2019s award-winning imagery speaks on fostering an enriched discourse surrounding the colonial gaze. <\/p>\n From producing experimental photographic materials to on-screen creations, Olivia passionately seizes intimate fragments of her vibrant inner sphere through the curious shutters of a camera. Her current oeuvre, which features visually riveting pieces centered on preserving organic moments of family, cultural identity, and self-exploration, attests to her storytelling prowess. Yet for many Indigenous creators, under-resourced programs and career insecurity remain a stagnant phenomenon within Canada\u2019s art sector. <\/p>\n \u201cThe contemporary Indigenous art circle is kind of small enough in Vancouver that I knew people from work and my personal social circles,\u201d says Olivia. Confidence and enthusiasm radiate in her speech as she articulates the costly challenges of maintaining her profession within a metropolitan artistic scene. \u201cOf course, Vancouver is such an expensive place to live in, especially when you are making art. That is not exactly the most secure, financially-speaking, thing to do. I am always digging around to see what opportunities are available.\u201d <\/p>\n Racialized pay gaps and inequitable funding to creative production have significantly led to undervalued representation within Indigenous artistic spaces. Hill Strategies<\/a> revealed a 2016 census report highlighting a vast income disparity in which Indigenous creators are generating 68 cents for every dollar their Caucasian counterparts produce. Furthermore, the report attributes gender bias to exacerbating the unequal pay, stating Indigenous women make 21 percent less than non-racialized male workers. As Vancouver\u2019s cost of living dangerously fluctuates, many aspiring Indigenous artists lack access to financial subsidies to sustain their careers. <\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t often think about how artists need support across the continuum of their careers,\u201d says Elisabeth Kyle, executive director at YVR Foundation. The independent charity aims to earmark copious research opportunities and scholarship awards to preserve Vancouver\u2019s indigenous artistic milieu. From the fabrics of intricate embroideries to the earthly minerals that produce ochre paintings, the foundation\u2019s mandate aims to provide early Indigenous artists equitable access to financial resources. \u201cAn artist does a huge expense upfront before anything is even sold. So, you might have to buy materials, rent studio spaces, or buy some tools. These are all super costly things, so we like to have mid-career artists get there as well.\u201d <\/p>\n In search of a scarce opportunity to display her talent, Olivia discovered YVR Foundation\u2019s Emerging Artist Scholarship<\/em> during her intern position at Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art<\/em><\/a>. There, she was introduced to Elisabeth, the former development manager who encouraged her to apply after she was apprised of Olivia’s growing oeuvres around candid photography and video production. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Emerging Artist Scholarship is a powerful one because it is where it all starts,\u201d says Elisabeth. \u201cYou can\u2019t have a mid-career artist if you don\u2019t have an emerging artist, and you can\u2019t carry forward traditions of material culture without someone expressing interest to learn more about it.\u201d <\/p>\n Although Elisabeth is optimistic about the influx of applicants sending eye-arresting submissions, the deliberation process behind selecting a recipient can be tedious due to limited financial resources. However, the organization’s large network of board members\u2014spanning from acclaimed Indigenous artists to museum educators\u2014holistically examine an applicant\u2019s background to determine an impartial decision. <\/p>\n \u201cIn the handful of photos that I applied for the award; I was just trying to show a good variety in my photography skills,\u201d says Olivia. Her undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia and current enrolment in a digital film-making program at Capilano University informed her practice on influential discourses surrounding non-western art. Steering away from oriental depictions of Indigenous culture, Olivia sought to disarm her camera as a traditional weapon of colonial oppression by creating a safe, intimate space for subjects. <\/p>\n \u201cI was taking Indigenous or non-Western-focused art classes,\u201d says Olivia. “We were talking about how a lot of the time, old photographs that you see of people are taken by foreigners or colonial figures within that space\u201d. She asserts the historical legacy surrounding the Western gaze in art has dehumanized Indigenous tribes to a merely uncivilized, exotic spectacle. From body ornamentation to basket weaving, cultural materials that embody ancestral customs dating back to the Pre-Columbian era have now been hollowed artifacts within the glass cases of globally renowned museums. \u201cSo, I had lots of conversations like that, and it made me feel very curious and inspired by how I, as an Indigenous person, was handling the camera.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThat is the lasting impact of the Foundation\u2019s work,\u201d says Elizabeth. \u201cIt dispels ideas of what Indigenous art is and what it can be. Sometimes people have an idea that it is what they see in a museum.\u201d In fact, surging new technology has shifted the plate tectonics of modern art. As a result, young Indigenous artists espousing digital media into their ancestral practices have conditioned a new wave of cultural resurgence. This unique meld has allowed First Nation creators to sculpt empowered visual narratives that carry an eternal legacy. \u201cBy creating these programs, we are creating a pathway to help these artists bring forward their material culture to the next generation and beyond.\u201d <\/p>\n As a result of her informed artistic practice, the award-winning monochromatic \u201cI See You\u201d imagery was born through the piles of Olivia\u2019s chemically unprocessed photos. Her submission features a freckled girl with long vibrant ginger tresses, whisked away by the soft breeze of VanDusen’s Garden as she holds a translucent leaf in front of her eyes, capturing a sacred moment of ethereal beauty. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was with my friend Jenna, who is mixed M\u00e9tis. I love taking pictures of my friends. I feel comfortable taking pictures of people I know,\u201d says Olivia. She asserts traditional themes of colonial gaze across visual materials can be identified in the relationship between a camera and its human subjects, an alienating and superficial barrier that often deprives a photograph of its authenticity. \u201cHaving a genuine relationship with your subjects is key. You don\u2019t have to be friends or close. But even just establishing a comfortable level of friendliness, I feel like that really allows people to unfurl and become comfortable in front of the camera.\u201d <\/p>\n In addition to her photo submission, Olivia produced a nine-minute video collage titled Home<\/em>, composed of various clips showcasing the Yukon artist\u2019s solace journey towards self-discovery. From placid walks around the lapis blue tides that encircle Yukon to the summer breeze gently stroking a patch of luscious green grass, Olivia\u2019s camera captures organic moments of blissful intimacy throughout endless drives with her mother and best friend. \u201cWhen I think of going to the airport, I think of going home,\u201d says Olivia. \u201cI really try to choose places that are meaningful to me but also to the relationship I share with that person.\u201d <\/p>\n From body ornamentation to ceremonial dances, Indigenous artistic rituals have historically proven to be an effective wellness intervention in vitalizing cultural spaces that allow creators to foster pride and ownership in their storytelling process. \u201cWe call it art in the West but for Indigenous people, it is their way of life,\u201d says Elisabeth. “So, we are talking about art objects that are used in ceremonies and have a cultural purpose within the community. I think the idea of a canvas on a wall just to look at is a very modern concept.\u201d <\/p>\n In fact, a plethora of academic literature<\/a> has proven artistic engagement can be used as a potent vehicle in sculpting empowered cultural narratives from the ashes of historic atrocities and oppressed ancestral voices. In promoting equitable access to creative resources and opportunities, the bedrock of YVR Art Foundation<\/a> recognizes art as a medicinal property in revitalizing autonomy in cultural expression. From on-screen works to performance production, Elisabeth feels the flaring ambitions of today\u2019s young Indigenous creators to expand contemporary interpretations of ancestral art will help fuel their cultural existence. <\/p>\n \u201cWithout tending and nurturing that flame. There is no legacy, there is no mid-career artist or Robert Davidson for the future.\u201d says Elisabeth. <\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n