A Blackfoot artist and educator from Siksika, Brendon Many Bears, specializes in graphic design and digital art as a freelance artist. He has created and taught digital art programs for IndigeSTEAM and Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, and now works as an Indigenous Education Specialist. Alongside his educational work, he collaborates with organizations on commercial art projects, murals, and public installations.
DIFFERENT LANDS
“I recently created murals for the University of Calgary’s veterinary campus at Spy Hill; two large canvases that are now installed in their cafeteria area.
“Right now, I’m working on a mural project with Matthew Francis. Matthew and I come from different cultures. His background is Jamaican, and mine is Blackfoot. The idea behind the mural is to combine both and show the connection between different cultures. The mural will be displayed at the Sunalta Community Centre.
“I do a lot of digital art, but murals are a completely different technique and strategy. It’s physical — a lot of manual labour and planning. When you finish a mural, you really understand how much effort goes into it.”
SCIENCE AND CULTURE
“I’ve been working with Telus Spark on and off for the last four or five years. Eventually, they hired me because of my background in archaeology and science, with the intention of bringing that knowledge in from an Indigenous perspective.
“I run a program called Paws, Claws & Stars. Part of it involves working with an inflatable dome and a film called Blackfoot Skies Makoiyohsokoyi. It teaches an old Blackfoot story about the Wolf Trail, what we call the Milky Way.
“When people think of Western astronomy, they think of Greek mythology and constellations. But Indigenous cultures have star stories too, and I connect the stars back to our culture.”
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SYMBOLISM AND STORIES
“About 10 years ago, I wanted to get into tattooing, which is why a lot of my early artwork looks like tattoo art. There were a lot of tattoo artists using images like headdresses or arrows without knowing what they meant. I felt it was important to create genuine pieces coming from someone who understood those symbols.
“I didn’t end up becoming a tattoo artist, but practicing and experimenting with those techniques really helped my art evolve from traditional tattoo style into something more realistic.
“A lot of our stories are taught orally. While listening to them, I always had images in my head, and I wanted to show those stories from my perspective, while also modernizing them. It’s important not just to preserve culture, but to teach people what it actually is.”
“A new generation of Indigenous artists is really exciting. There are so many people doing different things; drawing, beadwork, dancing, music. Every Indigenous culture is unique. Youth need to establish their own styles, as it allows them to share the true meaning behind their cultures.”
HAVE FUN AND BE PROUD
“I design logos here and there, and I’ve worked with a few bands lately. When I’m designing, I always think, ‘Would I want this as a sticker? Would it look cool?’ That’s usually my mindset.
“Having fun is the most important part, as well as creating something that’s true to yourself. It gets difficult when people start catering to what they think others want, instead of what they want to see.
“I’ve worked on projects where there were a lot of revisions, and by the end, the final design felt far from what I originally created. It took the soul and happiness out of it.
“At the end of the day, it comes back to the artist being proud of what they make.”
SKATEBOARDS AND BIG DREAMS
“I’ve been skateboarding since I was nine years old. Skateboarding is actually what got me into drawing. You know those tiny finger skateboards? When you flip them over, there’s artwork on the bottom. I used to buy those all the time as a kid. From there, I’d sketch character designs or things I thought would look cool on a skateboard.
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“About two or three years ago, an Indigenous skateboard organization called Cousins Skateboard reached out to me. That was one of my biggest dreams ever. I went on to design their skateboard, then their vehicle and trailer wrap.
“Working as an independent artist comes with a lot of challenges, but I’ve learned to treat those as learning opportunities. I’ve worked with organizations and museums, and on projects I never imagined I’d be doing when I was younger.”
This Q&A was created in collaboration with Werklund Centre. To see Brendon Many Bears’ work, visit @brutal.bear on Instagram.
