MATTEO ELLIOT

Untitled

2022

Materials: Acrylic paint, oil pastel, and collage on canvas.
‍
This piece tackles environmental racism and the violence and harm that oil pipelines cause to Indigenous communities, as well as the racism and police violence experienced by Indigenous people and land defenders across Turtle Island. It also represents the increased violence that Indigenous women, children, and two-spirit folks experience at land and water defence sites. The nature symbolism on the outside of the piece represents Indigenous culture and connection with Mother Earth, which is so crucial to our way of life. I used shades of purple and violet as they hold significance to my Haudenosaunee culture through our use of wampum belts, which is used to signify treaties and agreements–many of which are being broken by the Canadian government, who are compliant with these pipeline projects. The oil spill and the monochromatic colour scheme of the person represents how damage to the environment is a continued form of genocide, by severing our connection to the land, and therefore our connection to our culture and livelihood.

ARTIST | Matteo Elliot

He/Him

Matteo Elliott is a young trans Haudenosaunee artist living in Brantford, Ontario. His love for art started when he first picked up a crayon and scribbled on some paper as a child, and he’s been creating artwork ever since. He enjoys exploring themes using bright, unconventional colours, as well as using mixed media to play with texture in his works. His plans for the foreseeable future are to explore adding textiles and yarn to his mixed media works, as well as to incorporate poetry into his artwork.

ARTIST MENTOR | Willie Poll

Willie Poll is a proud Metis author from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, who who has spent the last ten years working in Indigenous education. She is very passionate about supporting Indigenous youth to reach their dreams and reclaim their power. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is her first book.

Email: pollalexandra93@gmail.com