Tepkik by Jordan Bennett

An installation by Jordan Bennett

Tepkik, Jordan Bennett‘s suspended site-specific installation at Brookfield Place, intersects the artist’s Mi’kmaq ancestral and contemporary traditions. Mi’kmaq are a First Nations people Indigenous to the eastern seaboard of Canada and into the state of Maine. Bennett’s work draws on historical references to the land, sky, and our galaxy, illuminated by the artist’s handling of color, his interpretation of patterns and shapes, and his use of materials.

For example, Bennett reimagines reflective vinyl on aluminum—typically associated with road signs—to evoke cultural markers of the past. The title Tepkik, a Mi’kmaq word for night, reflects on our place in the galaxy – bringing the stars and stories of his nation into view at any time of day.

About the Artist:

Jordan Bennett is a Mi’kmaq visual artist from Stephenville Crossing, Ktaqamkuk (Newfoundland). He lives and works on his ancestral territory of Mi’kma’ki in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia with his partner in life and art Amy Malbeuf. Jordan’s ongoing practice utilizes painting, sculpture, video, installation, public art and sound to explore land, language, the act of visiting, familial histories and challenging colonial perceptions of Indigenous histories and presence with a focus on exploring Mi’kmaq and Beothuk visual culture of Ktaqamkuk. In the past 10 years Jordan has participated in over 90 group and solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, as well as created numerous public art commissions. He has been the recipient of several awards and honours most notably short listed for the 2018 Sobey Art Award, long listed for the 2016 and 2015 Sobey Art Award, a Hnatyshyn Foundation REVEAL award and presented with the 2014 Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Councils Artist of the Year. Bennett holds a BFA from Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University and an MFA from The University of British Columbia, Okanagan.

Produced by Pearl Wagner Media & Art Consultants

Tepkik was commissioned by Brookfield Place Toronto.

And join us for live music by cutting edge First Nations and Native American artists from Canada and the U.S. on the Waterfront Terrace:

July 11 | Martha Redbone Roots Project
July 25 | DJ Shub
August 8 | Supaman

Above photo by Ashok Sinha.