Raven Davis

Raven Davis (born 1975) is a multimedia Indigenous artist, curator, activist, and community organizer of the Anishinaabe (Ojibway) Nation in Manitoba.^[1] Davis's work centers themes of culture, colonization, sexuality, and gender and racial justice.^[2] Davis currently lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia and works between Halifax and Toronto, Ontario.^[1][3][4] Davis is also a traditional dancer, singer, and drummer.^{[citation needed]}

Raven Davis
Born	1975 (age 49–50) Toronto, Ontario

Career

In 2010, Davis joined the Friends United initiative as an artist and associate and currently sits on the advisory board.^[5]

In 2017, Raven Davis was hired as co-artistic director of Halifax's Queer Acts Theatre Festival.^[6]

Awards, honours, and residencies

• Art and Activism Resident, NSCAD University (2016)^[7]
• Cape Breton Partnership, Aboriginal Women of Distinction in Business, nomination (2010)
• Cape Breton Industry Award, Sydney Ports Authority (2009)^[8]

Curatorial

• Nocturne, Halifax, Nova Scotia (2018)^[9]
• Bonnie Devine | Circles and Lines: Michi Saagiig. Art Gallery of Mississauga. Mississauga, Ontario (2018)^[10]
• Wsitqamu | Nunak | Ktahkomiq | Land, co-curated with Aidan Gillis, PETAPAN: First Light Indigenous Arts Symposium, Dieppe, New Brunswick (2016)^[11]

Filmography

• "I Still Believe" (2015) Director and Producer.
• "Spooning" (2015) Co-Produced with Elisha Lim.
• "Love Never Felt so Good" (2014) Collaboration with Elisha Lim.

Selected exhibitions

• Friends United Art Exhibit. Halifax City Hall. (2012)^[12]
• This is My Song: Perspectives from Contemporary Native Women. Huntsville. (2012)^[13]
• Friends United. Casino Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia. (2013)^[14]
• Indiginesse. Aurora Cultural Centre. Aurora, Ontario. (2014)^[15]
• Wagmatcook Arts & Culture festival. Wagmatcook, Nova Scotia. (2014)^[16]
• Assembly of First Nations Conference. Halifax, N.S. (2014)^[17]
• Basquiat Idea Bar: Justice. Art Gallery of Ontario. (2015)^[3]
• Map of the New Art. Cini Foundation. Venice. (2015)^[18]
• Duality. Kennedy Gallery. North Bay, Ontario. (2017)^[19]
• The De-Celebration of Canada 150. Khyber Center for the Arts. Halifax, Nova Scotia. (2017)^[20]
• níchiwamiskwém | nimidet | ma soeur | my sister. The Biennale of Contemporary Aboriginal Art (BACA). Art Mur, Montreal, Quebec. (2018)^[21]
• In Dialogue. Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. Brandon, Manitoba. (2018)^[22]

Personal

Raven Davis is a parent of three sons.^[23] Having a mother who is also an Anishinaabe artist has influenced Davis in their life and career.^[5][24] Davis was born and raised in Toronto and attended Ryerson University and George Brown College.^[25]

The artist is two-spirited and uses gender-neutral pronouns. Davis speaks at schools, art venues, and community events, raising awareness around issues of gender, sexuality, and race.^[26][27]

See also

• Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas