Photography fanatics can feast their eyes on a new photo exhibit titled 'All Our Relations: Portraits from The Elders Gatherings' from Mill Bay photographer Craig Richards at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre.
This exhibit features 36 portraits of Indigenous Elders from across Canada in the gallery on the 3rd floor.
"It's such a breathtaking space, with wonderful lighting and the layout of the walls lends itself to a journey," said Richards. "All of the portraits have wonderful bios and stories which adds great depth and unifies voices across the country. I think it's long overdue and that it is the perfect time to have this up here."
Richards who is originally from Edmonton, has been capturing the beauty of landscapes and Indigenous people in black and white through his camera lens for 50 years all over the globe including Guatemala for 17 years, as well as places like Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, and Uganda. He began capturing photos of Indigenous Elders across Canada for this project in 2019. It began when he was based out of Canmore, where he lived for 42 years. For 37 of those he worked with the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta, where he was the Curator of Photography for 20 years. It was around this time that he made a connection with Peter Poole who owns the Juniper Hotel in Banff which happens to be located on a sacred site where First Nation trading took place. Poole became well known for hosting an annual event called the Elder's Gathering, where Indigenous Elders from across the country were invited to attend. In 2018, Poole made an offer to Richards he couldn't refuse.
"To be offered the opportunity to photograph First Nations here in Canada, I thought absolutely," said Richards. "My favourite part of this journey has been connecting with people."
Richards, who has called the valley home for the past eight years, reached out to Cowichan Tribes, and was connected with Chief Cindy Daniels who was honoured to be a part of the exhibit and provided him with the contacts for elders Albie Charlie and Doreen Peter of Cowichan Tribes. Richards then took the same approach with Cowichan Valley Métis Nation and was connected with elders Bruce Dumont and Rick Lewis who are all part of the moving display of Indigenous Elders from the east to west coast.
Richards said this project came with its own set of creative challenges. First there was the technical side of giving the consistent black and white look to all the portraits. His solution was a portable studio consisting of a neutral backdrop that he could set up anywhere allowing his subjects to stand out, yet at the same time giving a unified feeling to his body of work. Then there was the artistic challenge to create a portrait that truly embodies each person.
"In the making of a portrait, there is always a give-and-take between the photographer and the subject," said Richards. "The goal is to capture that elusive element that makes each person an individual. My greatest task was to capture the essence of these individuals, and to allow the walls we all put up to come down. I requested that each Elder bring something that embodied his or her experience. I felt that by incorporating a personal memento, something evocative could be captured through their connection with the item."
Richards had the opportunity to witness connections first hand as a fly on the wall while attending the Tribute to Leonard Cohen at the CPAC on Sept. 21.
"I was just watching people and they were so enthralled, not just with the photos but also with the bios," said Richards. "There was this one couple who literally read everything. I had the opportunity to speak with him before the show, and he said thank you, thank you so much for this work, it's really making me think about everything."
While 36 of Richards' portraits currently line the walls at the CPAC gallery, he created 45 in total — 30 of which were on display in Banff. According to Richards, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society has expressed interest in permanently housing his work in Ottawa, and touring it across the country. Richards has also been photographing sacred Indigenous sites in western Canada, which he hopes to intermix into the future Ottawa exhibit.
"It will give greater meaning to the people, and to the sites," said Richards.
When first replying to an ad that the gallery was looking for artists to display their work, Richards was originally going to show off his landscapes of the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver Island, but he decided this portrait project was a more inspired choice.
"I've always told people that with my photography, I'm not trying to show people where I've been, I'm trying to show them what I feel about where I'm at," said Richards. "In many ways it's the same way in a portrait, because you have to connect with your subject, and they have to connect with you, they need to feel relaxed, and the walls need to come down. You need to be able to look into their heart, through your hear and your mind."
The exhibit will run until Nov. 12, and Richards will be giving a free Artist Walk and Talk on Oct. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m.
"I'm hoping people will acknowledge, and make a connection with all of the people in these portraits, but also make a connection with everyone at the exhibit," said Richards. "I'm hoping attendees leave with a greater understanding of who these people are, and how connected they all are, and hopefully we can all connect with that."
