Lisa Myers

Biography

I investigate cultural agency and the encoding of food as a material in contemporary Indigenous art. Food as a material in artworks may reveal complex power relations and issues for example: rations sent to First Nations communities by the state; relationship to place through plant medicines and ‘traditional’ food sources; and physical food related health issues, including diabetes. My work is inspired by over a decade of working as a cook for Aboriginal organizations and facilitating cooking, gardening and art programs. My experience as a studio instructor, and as a writing and learning consultant in the Indigenous Visual Culture Program at OCAD University was formative in developing my understanding of critical pedagogy and the significance of community building for Indigenous students in a University context, and I use community-building approaches as an educator, curator and artist. My artwork and participatory performance has been included in venues such as Urban Shaman (Winnipeg), Carleton University Art Gallery (Ottawa) Peterborough Art Gallery (Peterborough) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto).

Research Interest

"Visual art, community engaged and participatory practices Indigenous art activism Curatorial practice and museum studies Food studies related to art, value and land Art theory and criticism"