Meryl McMaster - nikihci-âniskotâpân / Bloodline: Reconnecting the bonds between past, present and future

GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 12, 2026 /CNW/ -- The stories of our ancestors continue to shape us, even when much of their history has been lost to time. In Meryl McMaster – nikihci-âniskotâpân / Bloodline, acclaimed artist Meryl McMaster explores family history, ancestry, and identity through striking large-scale photographic self-portraits and immersive video installations. Drawing on memory, research and imagination, the exhibition takes visitors on a compelling journey across generations, revealing how family histories, cultural heritage, and ancestral connections continue to shape our lives today.

One of Canada's leading contemporary artists, McMaster explores her mixed Plains Cree / Métis and British/Dutch heritage through photography, performance, costume and storytelling. Spanning 15 years of artistic practice, Bloodline brings together works created between 2008 and 2023, tracing the evolution of her artistic vision.

The exhibition features some of McMaster's most celebrated works alongside recent photographs inspired by the home territory of her father's family at Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Reaching across time, these newer works draw on the stories of the Plains Cree and Métis women who came before her, deepening the exhibition's exploration of memory, family history, and cultural heritage.

Characterized by meticulous staging and elaborate handcrafted costumes created by the artist, the works blend historical references, ceremonial traditions, and contemporary perspectives. While some revisit historical representations of Indigenous Peoples, others unfold in dreamlike landscapes that explore relationships to land, history and place.

"Meryl McMaster is one of Canada's most compelling contemporary artists, bringing extraordinary creativity, depth and sensitivity to her work," said Caroline Dromaguet, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. "Through powerful visual storytelling, she invites us to see history not as something distant, but as something that continues to shape our perspectives, relationships, and sense of place. We are proud to share this remarkable exhibition with our visitors."

Alongside 48 large-scale photographs, Bloodline includes two video installations marking McMaster's first exploration of film, as well as a mixed-media sculpture, reproductions of family photographs and archival documents, historical objects, and other materials that enrich the exhibition's exploration of ancestry and remembrance.

Organised into five chronological sections, Bloodline follows the development of the artist's practice, from her earliest works to her most recent creations. The Museum's presentation is trilingual, with content available in Plains Cree, French, and English.

Bloodline offers a deeply personal yet universal reflection on family history, identity, and belonging. In presenting this exhibition, the Museum highlights the vital role of contemporary Indigenous art as a vibrant force of cultural expression, renewal, understanding, and dialogue, offering new perspectives on the histories and experiences that shape Canada.

Presented at the Canadian Museum of History from November 13, 2026 to September 6, 2027, Meryl McMaster – nikihci-âniskotâpân / Bloodline is an exhibition organized and circulated by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in partnership with Remai Modern. Curated by Sarah Milroy, Frances and Tim Price Executive Director and Chief Curator, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, and Tarah Hogue, Adjunct Curator (Indigenous Art), Remai Modern.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum's principal role is to enhance Canadians' knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada's history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians' awareness of world history and cultures.

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SOURCE Canadian Museum of History

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