Jason Baerg’s Nîkânitisaham ᓃᑳᓂᑎᓴᐦᐊᒼ S/he Sends it Ahead: Celebrating Resilience and Connection Through Métis Perspective.
On September 2, 2025, the Robert Langen Art Gallery (RLAG) opened Nîkânitisaham ᓃᑳᓂᑎᓴᐦᐊᒼ S/he Sends it Ahead by renowned Métis visual artist Jason Baerg. Curated by University Art Curator, Suzanne Luke, the exhibition intertwines the natural, celestial, and human realms, celebrating Métis joy.
Baerg said, “It is about acknowledging the resilience and spirit of our community and the deep bonds we share with the natural and celestial worlds. With these artworks, I honor those connections while carrying them forward in the spirit of reconciliation.”
Baerg is a Red River Métis artist from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and is currently based in Toronto, Ontario. They are a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario. An artist, educator, and community-builder, they teach at OCAD University and co-founded The Shushkitew Collective and The Métis Artist Collective to support Indigenous voices in the arts.
Baerg’s work features bold interplays of colors that speak to land and heritage. The exhibition features three parts with one piece consisting of six 4×8 feet panels and poetry in Cree syllabics. Through the Cree syllabics, Baerg pays homage to their Kokum (grandmother), who would have spoken both Cree and Michif. Baerg calls it an “act of reclamation and resurgence.”
The six panels feature a bold interplay of copper and cobalt. When viewed in the gallery, this creates an interesting sense of movement and depth. The panels were conceptualized for the Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art in 2020. Baerg mentioned wanting to paint them on-site in his traditional territories of Northern Saskatchewan but could not be due to the pandemic.
Referencing to the panels as dazzling and fantastical landscapes, Baerg said, “The copper purifies water, and the cobalt blue references what I call the peace time flag of the Métis Nation and has a lot of references through art history… Under the lights, the reflective copper bounces off the canvas while the matte cobalt blue recedes back into space.”
Secondly, the exhibition features a hawk facing the six panels on a large laser-cut wooden installation, along with translations of the Cree syllabic text. Baerg mentioned that the hawk came forth for several reasons during the conceptualization of the work; through conversations with the curator, they discovered it was also the university’s mascot, adding yet another interesting connection to the deep motives behind the work. The exhibition also features three more works, each referring to various aspects of Baerg’s influences and the rich heritage they bring to their art.
Baerg stated, “Each of us is Indigenous to some place. Even though people see themselves as Canadian, they must recognize the history of their indigeneity. We must pay close attention to this land everyone is benefiting from, and to the true custodians of this land since time immemorial and their culture, language, and history.”
RLAG’s Lift Series:
The RLAG is also showing its annual Lift Series, titled Question or Answer, which features three local artists and photographers: Joe Martz, Rob Waldeck, and Stephen Edgar. This year this series explores the complexities of life, finding beauty, observations, and humor in our ever-changing environments. Through their creative images, they invite viewers to see the unnoticed and uncontrolled world around us.
Joe Martz is a Waterloo-based architectural photographer who has been documenting the built environment for over 20 years. Martz’s unique fascination with “gritty and atmospheric images of urban underpasses” is captured in a series of six images featuring familiar local urban architecture. He said, “It might be the most normal thing people photograph, but I was drawn to shadows, textures, and colors you could get out of them at various times of the day. Underpasses are not something you would look at twice, but if you look closely at them, you find the beauty of it, as silly as it sounds.”
Stephen Edgar, who has worked as a professional photographer for thirty years, has built a formidable reputation across a diverse range of genres, including fashion, commercial, event, architectural, and even canine portraiture. He said, “My photography is found in the Streets—shaped by light, and inspired by curiosity, a desire to meld feelings with hard skills.” His work features a unique collection of images from his wanderings through Dhaka, Bangladesh; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Port au Prince, Haiti. The images span 25 years of following his camera and listening to his heart.
Lastly, the series features Let Us Blow This Up by award-winning photographer and filmmaker Robert Waldeck. Set in the historic Schneiders factory as it underwent demolition, the photographic series documents a collection of mixed-media art installations created and captured as part of his solitary COVID journey. He calls it responsive to street art that employs Guerilla art strategies to explore themes of disruption, tension, and release in response to a changing world. He said, “I created site-specific installations that pierced through existing architectural decay and street graffiti. The final photographic documentation offers viewers a glimpse into themes of displacement, isolation, and vulnerability—gradually evolving into a narrative of hope and community connection.”
Jason Baerg’s show is on at the RLAG until November 21, 2025, while the Lift Series featuring the three artists will be on until June 2026. The opening reception for the exhibitions was held on October 29, 2025, to a resounding response from local art lovers and students.
Contributed Photo/Santosh Chandrasekhar
