Indigenous artists working with companies like Instagram, Purolator say representation is important

Corporations are commissioning Indigenous art, and that's not only good for the artists, but good for business as well, according to one business scholar.

Emily Kewageshig, an Anishinaabe artist from Saugeen First Nation in Ontario, recently teamed up with courier Purolator to design a limited-edition holiday box. 

"A lot of people are so happy to be seeing my work more mainstream," said Kewageshig. 

Kewageshig is a painter in the Woodland style created by artist Norval Morisseau. She depicted deer in a winter landscape and poinsettia flowers on her holiday box design. She said she hopes to invoke a sense of warmth and family with the images.

She said she believes representation is important. 

"Indigenous artists … have work that should be shared, that needs to be shared, not only mine, but so many other amazing young artists that are coming up right now," she said.

Kewageshig also designed a CBC logo for the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this year.

Philip Cote, who is Shawnee, Lakota, Potawatomi, Ojibway and Algonquin, designed artwork this summer for the new Radio-Canada building in Montreal. 

Cote painted a mural for an interior staircase. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the work was done at his studio on an adhesive paper that was then applied to the surface of the walls.

The painting depicts a maple tree with animals in the popular Woodland style.

"The maple tree represents that fiery colour when fall comes," said Cote, from Deer Moose Point First Nation in Ontario. 

"It reminded me of a fire. So my first thought was, I'm going to create an Indigenous understanding of life."

Cote said his art has the chance to create an important space, especially youth. 

"I'm creating a sacred space for everyone," he said.