Discovering his Métis heritage a couple of years ago was “validating” to artist Jason O’Connor, who has been incorporating global tribal symbols into his artwork for 20 years.
Knowing that two of his grandparents were from the Ojibwa and Cree First Nations was “transformative,” said O’Connor. “When I found out… everything clicked into place.”
The Sylvan Lake artist, whose exhibit The Lost Art of Urban Tribalism is showing at the Red Deer Arts Council Gallery, has been drawing and painting ancient cultural symbols since 2003, when he lived on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu.
The marketer and graphic artist was hired to re-engineer a small bottled water company owned by family friends on one of the more remote spots on Earth.
Vanuatu sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has nine active volcanoes on 84 islands. Travelling from the Alberta Prairies to this completely different setting was artistically energizing, O’Connor recalled.
“I did 12 paintings while I was there — I had tremendous growth. Really, most of my artistic identity comes from that time.”
O’Connor, whose creativity was initially sparked by his artist mother, began to study the forms and meanings of various symbols from different cultures — including Asian, North American, and European religious imagery.
He incorporates these into striking, “candy coloured” works made with paper collage, acrylic and spray paint, photographic images — even nail polish. The bright colours add a graffiti-like urban aspect, said the artist, who as a teenager was part of Calgary’s skateboarding community.
While borrowing symbols from another cultures has been called appropriation by some critics, O’Connor sees it from another perspective. He feels a spiritual connection to this imagery.
“Canada is a cultural mosaic, not a melting pot,” he explained. And at this polarized time — when people with different political views can’t even sit together and respectfully share opinions — he feels it’s particularly important to try to reach out and understand other cultures. “We need to start learning from others.”
O’Connor feels symbols from Polynesia, Melanesia, the Pacific Northwest, India, Mexico, Tibet, Thailand and other places “tell stories that all fit together,” since origin tales from different parts of the globe share remarkable commonalities.
By “mashing up” these images into one mosaic, he believes he’s showing acceptance and solidarity with people from different backgrounds.
The Lost Art of Urban Tribalism show can be seen at 4919-49th St. in Red Deer until Nov. 14.
