Carl Beam: Works on Paper: Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver, BC

Organized in collaboration with Nico Williams and Anong Beam

Opening reception

Saturday, April 26, 2 - 4 pm

659 East Hastings Street

Accompanying exhibition text by Nico Williams.

With the support of the Beam family and the curatorial vision of Sobey Art Award winner and fellow Anishinaabe artist Nico Williams, Fazakas Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of works on paper by Carl Beam (1943-2005; Anishinaabe). This exhibition marks the first time these works, created between 1980 and the late 1990s, have been shown publicly in Vancouver.

Beam's collage and photo-transfer techniques allowed him to visually bring together subjects and events from different historical moments that he infused with political commentary. His contemporary art-making strategies served and empowered his engagement with the struggle of Indigenous Peoples in the late 20th century.

Click here to read the full exhibition text by Nico Williams.

About Carl Beam

Carl Beam (1943-2005) was a painter, printmaker, ceramicist, and performance artist who challenged assumptions about First Nations creativity and the style and content of Indigenous art. Through his work, he reflected on contemporary experiences of the peoples of Turtle Island. By 1985, Beam was in the vanguard of a movement that exerted pressure on the Canadian art establishment to include neglected perspectives in exhibitions and publications. He was the earliest First Nations artist to have work purchased by the National Gallery of Canada as contemporary Indigenous art. Beam's artistic career reflects his commitment to confronting stereotypes and prejudices. He was a catalyst for change, propelling Canada to come to terms with its colonial and racist past.