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Art with Kat Ross: Métis Influence and Canada’s 150th
Posted On 01 Jul 2017
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How are Regina Indigenous Artists responding to Canada’s ‘150th’?
Leading up to today, Canada’s acclaimed “150th Birthday,” I have had the opportunity to connect with Regina born (or raised) artists to ask them how their art will reflect or protest Canada’s upcoming ‘birthday.’
While at the Cathedral arts festival I had the opportunity to interview Katherine (Kat) Ross while also viewing performance art piece. Kat Ross is a Saskatoon born Métis artist who currently resides in Sunshine Coast, British Columbia. She prefers not to label herself as an artist, and stated: “I’m pretty hesitant when it comes to labels. I would label myself a proud Metis woman, and creative conduit. I believe art is meant to inspire. However that movement exists isn’t intentional, but I’m grateful this art is inspiring and engaging people.”
Q: “How does your Indigenous Heritage influence your work?”
A: “As hesitant as labels make me, there is no avoiding them. In our culture the world regards me mostly as an Aboriginal woman, which I very much look, and because of that I am influenced in all ways daily. I am consistently pushing back against any prejudicial views and redefining myself through the process. I’m grateful for my wild spirit and its strength and resilience to do so, with grace.”
Q: “When did your passion for art begin?”
A: “I have been creative my whole life. My earliest memories are with my eldest sister who was also a mother figure, who I absolutely adore. She [Jackie] still inspires me today. My childhood is full of art with Jackie.”
Q: “Which artists do you feel inspired by?”
A: “I love hip-hop culture, graffiti is magic. Guerilla street art, the works of Banksy, etc. puts art right where it belongs in my books, out there in real life. Life should be one big art show; this art form is a tribute to that.”
Q: “Which environments do you feel inspired by?”
A: “Those two go hand in hand. Yes the public spaces, the unconventional. When I see art blooming up out of a concrete jungle it reminds me of nature eroding concrete pushing up life. Art equals life.”
Q: “What do you do when you don’t feel creative or inspired?”
A: “I am blessed by this big beautiful brain that always feels inspired, truly blessed the ideas are bountiful. I do have my share of struggles artistically, though, but they revolve around the material world. I hit obstacles like low resources (money, supplies, models, photographers) very often and can even come up against not quite having the skillset and pushing myself into very new and uncomfortable spaces.”
Denica Bleau
