Nadya Kwandibens has been recommended as the City of Toronto’s third Photo Laureate. Her appointment will be considered by Economic and Community Development Committee on February 16 and City Council on March 29–31, 2023.
City of Toronto Photo Laureate
It is an honour to be appointed the next Photo Laureate for the City of Toronto. Aapichigo miigwech / thank you very much to the City and to those who served on the selection panel. I recognize that this position comes with a great responsibility. As an ambassador for visual arts in the city, I look forward to connecting with the artist community as a whole and joining in the amplification of dialogue and narratives; exploring the diverse artistic practices of artists in the city; and reflecting on all the intersections that such a multi-faceted opportunity as this requires.”
Link: www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/photo-laureate/
Press Release: www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-announces-new-photo-laureate-nadya-kwandibens
Ascension Harjo | Na-Me-Res Pow Wow | Toronto, Ontario | June 24, 2017
Canon Creator Lab
Canon Canada Ambassadors are masters of their craft, from filmmaking, wildlife, sports, and fashion, get behind the lens and learn from the experts.
Link: www.canoncreatorlab.ca/ambassadors/NadyaKwandibens
MMIWG 27th Annual Women’s Memorial March | Vancouver, British Columbia | February 14, 2017
Canon Behind the Lens: Nadya Kwandibens
Portrait and events photographer Nadya Kwandibens uses her lens to tell vibrant and contemporary stories of Indigenous Peoples.
Link: www.canon.ca/en/Articles/2021/Behind-the-Lens-Nadya-Kwandibens
Artist Nadya Kwandibens (left) with photo subject Tee Lyn Duke at the mural unveiling at Ryerson University | Credit: Stef and Ethan
Nadya Kwandibens merges worlds with a photo mural at Ryerson
An image from the artist’s Concrete Indians series puts the Indigenous urban experience front and centre on the downtown campus.
Link: www.nowtoronto.com/culture/art-and-design/nadya-kwandibens-concrete-indians-ryerson-mural
Canon Creator Lab | December 5, 2019
Nadya Kwandibens on disrupting the narrative and photographing identity
Ontario Arts Council Award-winning photographer Nadya Kwandibens is known for her powerful portraits of Indigenous people, capturing diverse perspectives, voices and stories that challenge colonial narratives. The self-taught Anishinaabe photographer and founder of photography company Red Works has traveled Canada for over a decade, shooting events and portraiture that empower those she covers to share who they are.
Nadya invited us to Six Nations Reserve to share her most recent series, the Red Chair Sessions, and discuss how she uses her perspective to photograph identity, culture and a sense of belonging.
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_6UmpopeKI