Damien Eagle Bear: when you see it

Damien Eagle Bear presents when you see it, a new exhibition exploring how we perceive and understand the world through Indigenous knowledge and deep relationships with the land. The work invites viewers to confront their own connections to Blackfoot territory through portraits of significant areas, challenging traditional documentary standards to embrace a Blackfoot gaze. Eagle Bear is the 2026-2027 Ksahkomiitapiiks (Earth Beings) resident artist at Contemporary Calgary. This annual residency focuses on responsive practices that interrogate and nurture our relationships with the land, serving as an active process of collective learning rather than a static statement. The project is developed in consultation with Indigenous community members and Elders, including mentor Faye HeavyShield. The exhibition highlights themes of belonging and Indigenous resilience, offering a space for reflection on shared responsibilities as custodians of the land. It is a thoughtful look at how ancestral languages, practices, and relationships with the land are carried forward by new generations of artists.