27 by Claire Johnston

Opening Sept 6, 6-9 pm, running to Sept 30

Claire Johnston is a Red River Métis visual artist based in Winnipeg/Treaty 1 Territory. As a Two-Spirit Piitoshi-iteeyihtam, Claire engages in relational-making that centres balance, slowness, and connection to the land, to oneself, and one’s kin.

Claire is an artist and team member with the Re*Storying Autism project (Queen’s University), which works to combat Western, colonial, capitalist, and biomedical understandings of Autism through Autistic storytelling and narratives that affirm difference as desirable and needed.

A mentee of Master Métis Beader Jennine Krauchi, last fall Claire exhibited their largest beaded artwork yet during the Manitoba Opera’s Li Keur, the first-ever full-scale Indigenous Opera in North America. They have also exhibited at The Bill Ried Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (Vancouver 22’), Tangled Arts (Toronto 22’), Venice Biennale of Architecture (Venice 23’), and Festival du Voyageur (Winnipeg 24’). In February 2025, Urban Shaman (Winnipeg) will host Claire and three other Two-Spirit Michif artists for the upcoming show ‘I’ll share my medicines if you don’t have enough room for yours,’ curated by Jennifer Smith and Chanelle Lajoie.

Claire is a Sundancer, a hide tanning student, an Auntie, a Helper, and an MMF citizen with membership with the Two-Spirit Michif Local.