David Garneau: Dark Chapters

Curated by Arin Fay

"Dark Chapters" is a touring exhibition of paintings by David Garneau, curated by Arin Fay from the Nelson Museum Archives & Gallery. It is accompanied by a publication of the same name.

In his exhibition Dark Chapters, David Garneau presents meticulously rendered metaphorical still life paintings of objects set in intriguing, deliberate arrangements. These configurations illustrate the intertwined reality of modern and traditional Indigenous life alongside the complicated ramifications of colonization. Garneau titled the exhibition Dark Chapters to conjure Justice Murray Sinclair’s description of the residential school system in the Reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as “one of the darkest, most troubling chapters in our nation’s history.” As with traditional still life painting, the items in Garneau’s work carry deep significance, associations, and stories. The titles of Garneau’s paintings are also an important part of his meaning-making, which guide viewers toward understanding his intention while prompting thoughtful dialogue around reconciliation.

David Garneau (Métis Nation of Saskatchewan) is a Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Regina. He is a painter, curator, and writer who engages creative and critical expressions of Indigenous contemporary ways of knowing, being, and doing. He received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art: Outstanding Achievement, was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada (both 2023), and received The Order of Gabriel Dumont Silver Medal and King Charles III Coronation Medal (both 2025). 

Photo Credit: Mika Abbott

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