Edward Poitras

Invited Artist

Fellowship: Art Quantum (2009)

Cultural Affiliation: Métis

Poitras is a member of the Gordon First Nation, born and now living in Regina, Saskatchewan. His art training was conducted at Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College in 1974 and Manitou College (La Macaza, Quebec) from 1975 through 1976. Poitras has taught at numerous institutions, including the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, University of Manitoba, and First Nations University of Canada. Notably, he was the first Native artist ever chosen to represent Canada at the Venice Biennale in 1995. Poitras’ work is recognized for its variety of media and materials that blend as if they had always been compatible. From sculptures to installations, he explores how treaties and colonialism have affected First Nations peoples, and the way in which contemporary Native peoples integrate their lives in both rural and urban areas.