Self portrait with mended flesh
Manuel Axel Strain
April 1 - September 1, 2020
Location: Aberdeen Canada Line Station, Richmond

Above: Manuel Axel Strain, "Self portrait with mended flesh", installation view at Aberdeen Canada Line Station, Richmond, BC.
In partnership with Richmond Public Art, Capture Photography Festival, and InTransit BC
Self portrait with mended flesh by two-spirit artist Manuel Axel Strain is a diptych depicting the artist’s connection to their Grandmother. The work is born out of the artist’s internalized struggle to accept their own identity. Wrapped in their grandmother’s scarf, the artist’s arms metaphorically carry a spiritual connection and kinship to their ancestors. With such gestures of guidance and care by the older generation, the artist reflects on the traumatic times of their life, expressed in terms of vulnerability and resilience in reference to current and historical forms of colonial violence.
