Decolonization through the art of Robert Houle

Robert Houle (b.1947) is one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary artists. He is of Anishnabe Saulteaux heritage and a member of Sandy Bay First Nation, Treaty 1 Territory, in Manitoba. Houle’s work examines colonialism in Canada, from events that took place decades ago to ongoing practices, and he has described his work as a form of decolonization. Decolonization has been defined in different ways (it can be a personal transformation; a literal repatriation of land, goods, or cultural objects; or a visual or symbolic change within a space, institution, or community), but fundamentally it is about confronting colonialism by challenging it and undermining it, a process that can be empowering. This guide explores how Houle has confronted colonialism by appropriating colonial images and documents and by creating artworks that focus on Indigenous experience.