AGOG presents Hanako Nagao “MOON/TIME”

Death can be an intimidating topic, with so many negative associations. But it truly is just another part of nature. We are of nature, and that’s something that’s easy to forget in our modern world, with all of our societally created problems. There are thirteen full moons in a year, just like there are 13 menstrual cycles. Our patterns line up, the small cycles part of the larger picture. Our lives aren’t only our own, because they are a part of the cycle. Instead of scaring me, this thought often comforts me. Knowing that I’m a part of something bigger, makes my problems seem smaller. Even when those feelings are huge and overwhelming, like grief over death.Death isn’t the end, because our deaths, our decomposition and return to the earth, are simply giving back to the cycle of life. Grass and wildflowers will grow on our graves. The bones of beloved pets, or the birds who end their lives against the mirage-like glass of windows, will decompose in our gardens and feed the worms, provide nutrients for the soil, bloom again in the spring. And the beautiful souls of those we love will live on, in our hearts, in their descendants, in stories whispered at night or told to raucous laughter over the family table, and in a quiet moment of reflection. Everything in this exhibition was made possible by the support of my entire community, and the guidance, wisdom, and patience of my mother, Caren Nagao. My feelings about life, and death, nature, religion, sex and gender, are in many ways imparted by countless individuals in the Métis, First Nations, Inuit, and other traditional peoples, from many areas across North America. I cannot offer enough thanks and gratitude to everyone who has been a part of my journey. Huge thanks to those who provided and transported materials, including local hunters, farmers, and explorers, especially Kay Nagao, Ed Delisle, Jim Mason, Nick and Irene Laferiere, Sandra Hudson, Allan Klyne, Catherine Klyne, and several other cousins and neighbours.I also couldn’t have done this without the artistic guidance of Kay Nagao, my siblings Tamika and Drew, Beatrice Newman, Sam Cameron, Tammy Prather, and the AGOG team.