Kent Monkman: Reimagining Indigenous History Through Five Paintings

Kent Monkman, a Cree artist, uses his gender-fluid alter ego Miss Chief Eagle Testickle to challenge colonial narratives across five key works. In 'Death of the Female' (2014), part of his Urban Res series, he addresses violence against Indigenous women through a Cubist style, depicting an assault on a Winnipeg street. 'mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People)' (2019), a diptych commissioned by The Met, reimagines European arrival and Indigenous resilience, incorporating figures from historical artworks. 'The Escape' (2022) confronts Canadian residential schools, showing a girl hiding from a Mountie. 'The Great Mystery' (2023), commissioned by the Hood Museum, blends Rothko and Dallin to critique the 'vanishing race' myth. 'kîwêtin acâhkos (The North Star)' (2025), from his Knowledge Keepers series, honors residential school survivors. Monkman's work is on view at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until March 8, 2026.