Valen Onstine is a two-spirit Dane-Zaa & Cree artist based in Burnaby, BC. He creates colourful and confrontational work that takes inspiration from his Indigenous experience, nature, & feelings that are better explained through imagery than words.
He has been working with Vines Art Festival since early 2022 and has been featured several times on the Ologies Instagram page. He’s created chapbook covers for local poets Kit Tempo & Catherine Garett, and has a graphic novel funded by the Canada Council of the Arts in the works with jaye simpson.
Valen has lived all around BC, & feels it connects to his people's history as semi-nomads. He grew up in the Cariboo and spent around a decade living in the Okanagan as an adult. Living in the Lower Mainland has been a long-term goal, and since relocating there he has fostered his skill and creativity with the support of his urban Indigenous kin.
Image description: Cappuccino the cat posing on a green mat on top of a purple and pink desk drawer container.
I am a two-spirit Dane-Zaa & Cree artist based in Burnaby, BC. I’ve been expressing myself with art for over 20 years. I create colourful and confrontational work that takes inspiration from my Indigenous experience, nature, & feelings that are better explained through imagery than words.
Primarily self-taught, I took to art as a means of expression & exploration. Through digital & traditional mediums like markers, oil pastels, paints, and sculpture, I translate shape, weight, form, and energy into vivid and emotive pieces.
I have been working with Vines Art Festival since early 2022 and have been featured several times on the Ologies Instagram page. I’ve created chapbook covers for local poets Kit Tempo & Catherine Garett, and have a graphic novel funded by the Canada Council of the Arts in the works with jaye simpson.
I have lived all around BC, & feel it connects to my people's history as semi-nomads. I grew up in the Cariboo and spent around a decade living in the Okanagan as an adult. Living in the Lower Mainland has been a long-term goal, and since relocating there I’ve fostered my skill and creativity with the support of my urban Indigenous kin.
Artwork description: A large greyscale illustration drawn in a digital medium that mimics charcoal. Three people are drawn from the waist up. Together they hold a glowing, blooming light source in their hands, nurturing it and supporting each other. The outlines of the people are brightly lit by the blooming light, while their bodies fade into the dark around them. The person in the middle has their face illuminated, their glossy eyes closed, and long, wavy hair frames their face and body. The people to their right and left have their backs to the viewer. The person to the left is tall and has long braided hair. The person to the right is shorter than the others and has short hair in tight curls. The artist’s signature in the bottom right corner says “Valen ‘22”.
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