Artist Statement:
My name is Raven Sanborn, I use any pronouns. I am a queer, multidisciplinary artist currently based in Winnipeg, Treaty One territory where I was born and raised for most of my life. I use a wide variety of materials both traditional and digital. Namely painting, drawing, ceramics, textiles, beading, photography, and drag. My ideas come to me in bursts of potential energy. Once I’m able to channel that energy into a piece it begins to have a life of its own. I find that having a wide range of mediums gives me freedom, and the ability to let my work speak for itself in a way that suits it best. I focus a lot on the body and other organic material like plants and creatures. My inspiration draws on sources like pop culture, queer culture, fashion, tradition, nature, and the unusual. I work to challenge what is traditionally considered art versus craft. Recently, I’ve been reconnecting and exploring my mixed European-Indigenous (Blackfoot) heritage within my practice through storytelling and traditional mediums. My work typically revolves around the human experience and our inner worlds. My most recent practice has been focused on themes related to mortality and deterioration. With the onset of chronic pain and fatigue, I’ve been exploring how my own body is deteriorating and my relationship with the natural world.Artist Bio:
Raven Sanborn (born 2002, any pronouns) is a multidisciplinary artist, and student at the University of Manitoba’s School of Art, in her final year completing a BFA with Honours. Currently based in Winnipeg, Treaty One territory where they were born and raised for most of their life before moving to Steinbach and then La Broquerie. They are queer and come from a mixed European-Indigenous (Blackfoot) heritage.Exhibitions:
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“MANUFACTURE”
RAW Artists Canada, 2023.
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Floor mural featured at the Saint-Boniface Museum created for “Story Shifters”, 2023. Kept on display for “Korboo”, 2023 and “HEHO: le festival”, 2024.
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“Unravel”, University of Manitoba’s Student Union, 2022.
- “ARTiculate our Rights”, Canadian Museum of Human Rights, 2020-2023.
Photo Credit: Pablo riquelme Photography