Curriculum Vitae
Solo Exhibitions
2021
Special Apperance By... - Zalucky Contemporary, Toronto, ON
Omnibus - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2020
Imaginary Lines - Art Mur, Montreal, QC
2019
T´łaḵwa - - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC
(UN)Named Maker, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich, UK
Sonny Assu: A Radical Remixing, Canada House Gallery, London, UK
2018
Sonny Assu: Etudes for the Settler - Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Seattle, WA, USA
Territorial Acknowledgements - Campbell River Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC
A Selective History - La Guild, Montreal, QC
The Paradise Syndrome - Tidemark Theatre, Campbell River, BC
2016
Interventions on the Imaginary - Art Mur, Montreal, QC
We Come to Witness: Sonny Assu In Dialogue with Emily Carr - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
The Paradise Syndrome - Malaspina Printmakers Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Home Coming - Campbell River Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC
1UP - Surrey Art Gallery’s UrbanScreen, Surrey, BC
2015
Day School- Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, , BC
Continuum - Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
The Value Of What Goes Within - SIGHTINGS 13, Galerie Leonard & Bina Ellen, Montreal, QC
2014
Interventions on the Imaginary - FOFA Gallery (York Vitrines), Montreal, QC
Echoes - Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
There Is Hope, If We Rise - Urban Shaman, Winnipeg, MN
2013
Sonny Assu: Possession - Oakville Galleries (Centennial Square), Oakville, On
#neveridle - Art Mur, Montreal, QC
2012
There Is Hope, If We Rise - Gallery Vertigo, Vernon, BC
The Happiest Future - Gallery Fukai, Vancouver, BC
Offcuts - The Langham Cultural Centre, Kaslo, BC
2011
Silenced - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, , BC
Longing - West Vancouver Museum, West Vancouver, BC
Anthropological Intervention - Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, BC
2010
Sonny Assu - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2009
iDrums - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2007
iPotlatch - Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon, MB
2006
Sonny Assu: As defined by the Indian Act - Belkin Satellite Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Group Exhibitions
2022
The World We Know, New Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection - Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ont
2021
Shifting Boundries - Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN
Memory and Time - Art Mur, Montreal, QC
Humour as Medicine - Campbell River Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC
Em̓út | Being Home - Libby Leshgold Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2020
Uncommon Language - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Wayfinding: Contemporary Artists, Critical Dialogues, and the Knafel Map Collection - Addison Gallery of American Art Andover, MA, USA
Where We Have Been - Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC
Indigenous Futurisms: Transcending Past/Present/Future - Institute of American Indian Arts,Santa Fe, New Mexico Fabulous Images.
When Fiction Takes Root - Foreman Art Gallery of Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QC
2019
There Is Hope If We Rise: Protest Posters from AIM to DAPL - David W. May American Indian Gallery, San Diego, California
Indigenous Futurisms: Explorations in Art and Play - C.N. Gorman Museum at UC Davis, Davis, California
Sonny Assu & Emily Carr: Conversing Cultures - Audain Art Museum, Whistler, BC
Person/ne - Griffin Art Projects, Vancouver, BC
Displacement - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2018
The Metamorphosis - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Live Long & Prosper: Sci-Fi Images in Contemporary Indigenous Art - New Mexico State University Museum, NM, USA
Here Be Dragons - Carlton University Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON
morph - Central Library, Vancouver, BC
Triennale Banlieue! Là où se prépare le futur - Maison Des Arts De Laval, Laval, QC
POP - Audain Art Museum, Whistler, BC, Canada
Juxtaposition - Galerie BLANC, Montreal, QC
Sonny Assu, Renée Van Halm, Etienne Zack: Works on Paper - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver BC
2017
L’Offre - DHC/ART, Montreal, QC
Future Memories (Present Tense) - Illingworth Kerry Gallery, Calgary, AB
Modern Legends - ACT Art Gallery, Maple Ridge, BC.
Raise a Flag: Works from the Indigenous Art Collection (2000-2015) - Onsite Gallery, Toronto, ON
An Absolute Movement - Or Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Coyote School - McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, ON
Awakening Memory - Open Space, Victoria, BC
2016
Rencontres Improbables (the secret encounters of Kusama Kalthoum), oqbo, Berlin, De
Neon NDN, SAW Gallery, Ottawa, ON
INDIAN ACTS: Truths in the Age of Reconciliation, Katzman Contemporary, Toronto, ON
Canadian Belonging(s) - The Art Gallery of Mississauga, ON
Culture Shift - Art Mur, Montreal, QC
Re-mixed: Reconfiguring the Imaginary - Union Gallery, Queen’s University, Kingston ON
2015
Into the Wild - Hamilton Artists Inc., Hamilton, ON
The Rebel Yells - FOFA Gallery, Montreal, QC
Hip Hop - Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
2014
Here; Now: Native Artists Inspired - Burke Museum, Seattle, WA, USA
Tragedy Plus Time - Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, SK
2013
Qui suis-je ? L’identité autochtone au 21e siècle - Maison des Jésuites de Sillery, Quebec, QC
Ghost Dance - Ryerson Image Centre, Toronto, ON
Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art - National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON
The Violent Bear It Away - Biola University Art Gallery, La Mirada, CA, USA
Artist Poster Show - Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
2012
Carrying on “Irregardless”- Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art - Vancouver, BC
Material Wealth: Revealing Landscape - Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON
Ebb and Flow - Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo, BC
Throw Down - Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC
A Stake in the Ground: Contemporary Native Art Manifestation - Art Mur, Montreal, QC
2011
Shore, Forest and Beyond: Art From the Audain Collection - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
(Be)longing - Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA, USA
2010
Exhibit E - Rennie Collection at Wing Sang, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Alternorthern - The LAB. San Francisco, CA, USA
2009
Continuum: Vision and Creativity on the Northwest Coast - Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver, BC
Blue Like an Orange - Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON
How Soon Is Now? - Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Pop Goes the World - The Red Shift Gallery, Saskatoon, SK
2008
World Histories - Des Moines Art Center. Des Moines, IA, USA
Comic Relief - National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON
2007
SAM at 75 - Seattle Art Museum. Seattle, WA, USA
2006
Past to Present - Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2005
Evolution (Alumni Exhibition) - Emily Carr University, Vancouver, BC
2003
Thinking Textile - Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
Group Touring Exhibitions
2019-21
The Drive
Art Gallery of Guelph - Guelph, ON/ Thunder Bay Art Gallery - Thunder Bay Art, ON/ Confederation Centre Art Gallery - Charlottetown, PE/ Museum London - London, ON
2018-20
Conflicting Heroes
Quai 5160 - Maison de la culture de Verdun, Verdun, QC/ Centre culturel Peter B. Yeomans, Dorval, QC Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay, Montréal QC/ Maison de la culture Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension Montréal, QC/ Art Mûr, Berlin, Germany
2019
First Nations Art of British Columbia
Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Kahului, Hawaii/ *Forthcoming* East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
2018
Borrowing the Earth (Russia Touring Exhibition)
Orenburg Fine Arts Museum, Orenburg/ Nesterov Bashkir State Art Museum in Ufa/ The Udmurt Republican Museum of Fine Arts, Izhevsk/ Museum of Fine Arts, Novy Urengoy Museum Resource Center of Noyabrsk, Noyabrsk/ South Urals History Museum in Chelyabinsk Tyumen Fine Arts Museum, Tyumen/ Yekaterinburg Fine Arts Museum, Yekaterinburg.
2017-20
Ready Player Two: Sonny Assu and Brendan Tang
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Calgary AB/ York University Art Gallery, Toronto, ON/ Niagara Artists Centre, St. Catherines, ON Touchstones Nelson Museum of Art and History, Nelson, BC/ Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, YT The Reach Gallery and Museum, Abbotsford, BC
2016-19
When Raven Became Spider
Wanuskewin Galleries/ The Art Gallery of Sudbury, Sudbury/ Ottawa Art Gallery/ Dunlop Art Gallery
2014-15
The Fifth World
Kitchner-Waterloo Art Gallery, Ontario/ Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon
2014
Storytelling
Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, ON/ Art Mur, Montreal, QC
2011-13
Don’t Stop Me Now
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON/ Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre, Medicine Hat, AB
2013
Stocked - Contemporary Art from the Grocery Aisles
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, AZ/ Ulrich Museum of Art
2012-2015
Beat Nation: Art, Hip-Hop and Aboriginal Culture
Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Montreal/ Kamloops Art Gallery, Kamloops/ Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina/
Dalhousie Art Gallery and Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery The Power Plant, Toronto/ Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2011-15
Decolonize Me
Tom Thomson Art Gallery/ The Reach Gallery Museum/ Thunder Bay Art Gallery/ Art Gallery of Windsor Foreman Art Gallery/ The Robert McLaughlin Gallery/ Ottawa Art Gallery
2009
Beat Nation
Grunt Gallery, Vancouver, BC/ Galerie SAW Gallery, Ottawa, ONT
2005-08
Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation, 2
Tucson Museum of Art/ Anchorage Museum of History & Art/ Weisman Art Museum/ Naples Museum of Art Eiteljorg Museum/ Institute of American Indian Arts Museum/ Museum of Arts & Design
2003-05
Futuristic Regalia
Campbell River Art Gallery/ Alternator Gallery/Grunt Gallery
Public Art Projects
2021
Dance as Though the Ancestors are Watching - Vancouver Mural Festival, 2231 Columbia Street
2018
Slurpee Stopour (w/ Mark Ollinger)- Vancouver Mural Festival, 14th and Main St.
2014
Reconciliation - Commissioned Public Art (Temporary) for the City of Vancouver.
2013
Tag - Commissioned Public Art Work for Onni Development and the City of Vancouver.
2012
Kingsway Trail - Commissioned Public Art Work for the City of Vancouver Public Art Program.
Collections
Eiteljorg Museum/ The National Gallery of Canada/ Vancouver Art Gallery/ Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts/ The Art Gallery of Ontario/ The McMaster Museum of Art/ Canadian Museum of History/ Surrey Art Gallery, Thunder Bay Art Gallery/ Art Gallery of Guelph/ The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria/ Canada Council Art Bank/ The City of Richmond (BC)/ Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs/ Museum of Anthropology at UBC/ The Indigenous Art Collection - Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada/ The Canada Council Art Bank/ Foreign Affairs Canada Visual Art Collection/ Nanaimo Art Gallery/ The Seattle Art Museum/ The Burke Museum/ The City of Vancouver (BC)/ Audain Art Museum/ Hydro Quebec/ Lotto Quebec.
Works held in private collections in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Artist Talks and Lectures
University of East Anglia / Frye Art Museum/ University of Washington/ Campbell River Art Gallery/ Surrey Art Gallery/ Art Gallery of Guelph/ Thunder Bay Art Gallery/ Two Rivers Gallery/ Urban Shaman/ Art Gallery of Greater Victoria/ West Vancouver Museum/ The McMichael Canadian Art Collection/ Des Moines Art Center/ Seattle Art Museum/ Museum of Anthropology/ Vancouver Art Gallery/ Université du Québec à Montréal/ Emily Carr University/ University of Western Ontario/ Wilfred Laurier University/ Concordia University/ Bishops University/ University of Victoria/ Capilano University/ Camosun College/ University of Lethbridge/ Vancouver Island University
Artist in Residence
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich UK/ West Vancouver Secondary School, West Vancouver, BC/ Collingwood School, West Vancouver, BC/ Bill Holm Center, Seattle, WA/ Baie St. Paul Artist Symposium, Baie St. Paul QC/ The Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC/ The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, ON/ Des Moines Art Center, IA, USA.
Arts Festivals
Vancouver Mural Festival (2018) - 13th and Main St, Vancouver - "Slurpee Stupor"/ Vancouver Mural Festival (2021) 2231 Columbia St, Vancouver - "Dance as though the Ancestors are Watching"/ Talking Stick Festival (Coming to the Fire, 2015), Vancouver, BC/ Facade Fest, Vancouver, BC/ Art in the Open, Charlottetown, PEI Harmony Arts Festival, West Vancouver, BC/ BC Swarm 12 (Labyrinth Gallery), Vancouver, BC/ New Forms Festival 11 (Art, Revolution and Ownership), Vancouver, BC
Grants and Awards
Eiteljorg Fellowship, 2021
Laureate of the REVEAL Indigenous Art Award, 2017
British Columbia Arts Council: Production Grant - 2004/2007/2009/2010/2017
Sobey Art Award Long List, BC and Yukon Region - 2012/2013/2015
Canada Council for the Arts: Travel Grant - 2015
Canada Council for the Arts: Production Grant - 2007/2012
British Columbia Achievement Foundation: Award of Excellence in First Nations Art - 2011
Emily Carr University: Emily Award, Distinguished Alumni Award - 2007
First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation: Emerging Individual Artists Grant - 2003
The Vancouver Foundation: Visual Arts Development Awards (VADA) - 2003
Peer Assessment Juries
2017
British Columbia Arts Council: Interdisciplinary Arts Jury
2012
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada: National Capital Provincial Banners
Project National Gallery of Canada: So You Want To Be An Artist
2010
Canada Council for the Arts: International Residency jury
2008
British Columbia Arts Council: Visual Art Jury
2007
The Vancouver Foundation: Visual Arts Development Awards (VADA)
2005
Canada Council for the Arts: Emerging artist grant jury
2004
Vancouver: Public Art Program Jury (Art Underfoot)
Select Bibliography
Sonny Assu: A Selective History
Janet Rogers (Forward), Candice Hopkins, Marianne Nicolson, Richard Van Camp, Ellyn Walker, Sonny Assu (Authors)
Publishers: Heritage House (Canada),
University of Washington Press (US)
ISBN 978-0295742113
Decolonize Me
Heather Igloliortie, Steven Loft and Brenda Croft
Publisher: Ottawa Art Gallery
ISBN 978-1553659297
Shore, Forest and Beyond: Art from the Audain Collection
Ian M. Thom and Grant Arnold
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre
ISBN 978-1553659297
Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast
Ian M. Thom
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN 978-0295989198
Beat Nation: Art Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture
Kathleen Ritter and Tania Willard
Publisher: Vancouver Art Gallery
ISBN 978-1-895442-98-4
HIP HOP, du Bronx aux rues arabes
Olivier Cachin (Editor), Bernard Zekri, Karim Hammou, Reda Zine, Christian Bethune, Christian Omodeo, Claire Calogirou, Mark Levine, Anders Ackfedt, Jean-Pierre Filiu, Yassin “The Narcicyst” Alsalman (Authors)
Publisher: Institut du monde arabe
ISBN 978-946-161-225-0
Emily Carr: Fresh Seeing
Kiriko Watanabe, Kathryn Bridge, Robin Laurence, Michael Polay
Publisher: Figure 1 and Audain Art Museum
ISBN 978-177-327-091-3
Tragedy Plus Time: I Laughed, I Cried, I Split My Side
Blair Fornwalk, Jennifer Matotek, Wendy Peart, Dagmara Genda, Michael Davidge
Publisher: Black Dog Publishing
ISBN 978-191-043-329-4
Sonny Assu: A Radical Mixing
Verity Steward, Dennison Smith, Lindsay Nixon
Publisher: The Baldwin Gallery No ISBN
Longing
Darrin Morrison (Forward), Heather Igloliorte, Dion Kliner, Kathleen Ritter (Authors)
Publisher: West Vancouver Museum
ISBN 978-099-196-022-4
Community Service
2018 - 2021
Emily Carr University - Board of Governors
2009-2011
Grunt Gallery - Vice President, Board of directors
2007-08
Grunt Gallery - Board of directors
Education
2017
Concordia University, MFA in Visual Arts. - Montreal, QC
2002
Emily Carr University of Art + Design, BFA in Visual Arts- Vancouver, BC
1999
Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Surrey, BC