Touring solo exhibition by Jordan Bennett
Curated by Aiden Gillis & Emma Hassencahl Perley
Souvenir presents paintings and site-specific installations by artist Jordan Bennett in conversation with historical Mi’kmaw quillwork.
With a research approach of visiting archives, knowledge keepers, and spending time on the land, Bennett draws inspiration from multiple vantage points. He creates large-scale compositions that echo the geometric and curved designs found in Mi’kmaw quillwork, while also responding to the architecture of the gallery space.
Souvenir explores history and heritage through immersive experiences, using bold colour palettes informed by quillwork, Bennett’s everyday life, and familiar landscapes. His work inspires joy and curiosity, reflecting the inherent beauty and humour of Mi’kmaw culture.
The quillwork pieces borrowed from Canadian museums in Souvenir were created for Atlantic trade markets in the 1800s. They contribute to a bridge between Indigenous and settler communities. Bennett positions these pieces today as teachers in conversation with his new artworks, activating a cross-generational meeting ground that connects people with ancestral pieces in a new way.
For tour inquiries, contact IOTAgeneralinfo@gmail.com
Tour Dates
The Rooms
9 Bonaventure Avenue, St. John’s, NL
Level 3 Main Art Gallery
March 28, 2026 – August 31, 2026
Curated by Aiden Gillis with original curator Ryan Rice
Opening Reception: Fri March 27 — 7:00 – 9:30 PM
Souvenir and Story Skirts: Table Talks with Jordan Bennett, Meagan Musseau, Aiden Gillis, and Jenelle Duval, Saturday March 28, 2:30 – 3:30 PM. This is a free program, but a ticket is required. Click here to reserve your free ticket.
Confederation Centre for the Arts
Charlottetown, PEI
Spring/Summer 2027
Curated by Emma Hassencahl-Perley
Credits
Artist
- Jordan Bennett
Curators
- Aiden Gillis
- Emma Hassencahl-Perley
Curatorial Consultation
- Ryan Rice
Artist Assistant
- Melissa Francis
Mi’kmaw Translator
- Ida Denny
Tour Management
- Mireille Bourgeois, IOTA Studios
- Amanda Nellie, IbifiriWari
Fabrication Team
- Crating by James MacIntosh & Amanda Shore
- Exhibition furniture by EurekaTec
Acknowledgements
This exhibition was made possible thanks to Onsite Gallery, Ryan Rice, Kanien’kehá:ka, Executive Director + Curator, Indigenous Art at OCAD University’s Onsite Gallery, consultation with Emma Hassencahl-Perley, and the countless artist assistants, staff, friends, and family members. We acknowledge the gracious support of the Canada Council for the Arts. We also acknowledge The Rooms, the McCord Stewart Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, who have loaned cultural belongings from their collections to The Rooms exhibition iteration.
This exhibition is produced in partnership with IOTA Institute as the Touring Manager.
Bennett's ongoing practice utilizes painting, sculpture, video, installation and sound to explore land, language, the act of visiting, familial histories and challenging colonial perceptions of indigenous histories, stereotypes and presence with a focus on exploring Mi’kmaq and Beothuk visual culture of Ktaqamkuk.