Brian Jungen

The artist:

Brian Jungen is a Canadian artist and a Dane-zaa member. Born in April 29, 1970
in Fort St. John, British Columbia in Canada, he’s 53 years old and continues his
works and he even got a Sobey Art Award in 2002.

The Art:

One of his first projects is named” Prototype for New Understanding” which put him
in the spotlight of the art world. Brian Jungen cut into pieces pairs of shoes to make
indigenous replica masks. Jungen made his art with designer shoes worth a total of
$31,000. The strong use of black, red and white really makes us think of the
indigenous community and its cultural value. In overall, it therefore highlights
indigenous culture as well as the world of current fashion. He also made a 1:1 whale
skeleton using garden chairs called “Transmutation” in 2000, part of a series of 3
sculpture that include two other whale skeletons.

Connection between Jungen and his Art:

With his double culture, Brian Jungen confront the indigenous world with the modern
fashion. His use of shoes as raw material to make aboriginal masks shows a contrast
between the past and today. That demonstrates his interest among the consumption
society and the indigenous territory where it developed.