Stories My Father Couldn’t Tell Me: Jeff Thomas Origin

This exhibition delves into the critical and creative practices of Jeff Thomas, an Urban-Iroquois photographer, curator, activist, and cultural theorist. Through his work, we explore how Thomas’ artistic process—highlighted by artist proofs, archival materials, and a new series titled Dream Panels—reflects his authorship of his lived experience on this land. His work resists government designations and engages in activism and reflection, asserting Indigenous presence and sovereignty.

Since 1980, Thomas has challenged the exclusion of Indigenous histories, experiences, and sovereignties in urban environments, particularly in his hometown of Buffalo, NY. His early works, including street photography and portraits of his son, Bear, marked the beginning of his efforts to map the erasures and continuities of Indigenous knowledge. By recontextualizing archival images by colonial photographers like Edward S. Curtis and William James Topley, Thomas crafted complex narratives that countered historical misrepresentations.

The breadth of Thomas’ oeuvre reflects his expansive curiosity and the deep connections he sees between place and time. In Dream Panels, he revisits four decades of art-making, focusing on themes that have remained central to his practice: Indigenous masculinity, disability, fatherhood, and the intricate relationships between land, ancestors, and family. These panels underscore how these concerns have shaped his ongoing, rigorous exploration of identity and community.

This exhibition is part of a unique partnership between the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), committed to supporting the agency, self-determination, and cultural sovereignty of Indigenous artists, cultural producers, and communities.