Ts​​ēmā Igharas

Tsēmā Igharas is an interdisciplinary artist and a member of the Tāłtān First Nation. She uses a Potlatch methodology to create works in mediums including sculpture, installation, photography, sewing and performance. Her practice is informed by Northwest Coast Formline Design, her studies in visual culture, and time spent in the mountains. Her unique approach is a way to challenge the colonial value system and to promote relations to the land, through methods of care and strategies of resistance. Tsēmā has a Bachelor’s degree from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and graduated from the Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media and Design program at OCADu. She is a founding board member of the first Tāłtān NGO, Tu’dese’cho Wholistic Indigenous Leadership Development for the betterment of youth, and serves on the board for the YVR Art Foundation. Tsēmā founded and coordinates Potlatch School, which  includes an Artist-in-Residence program and seasonal ceremonies in her home territory. In 2018, she won the Emily Award for outstanding ECUAD alumni, and was one of the winners of the 2020 Sobey Art Award. Tsēmā has exhibited across Canada and the US, and internationally in Mexico, Sweden, and Chile.