polaroid, kuskatan, 2024
Alexa Black is a multidisciplinary artist of Nahua, Maya, and Irish heritage, creating as a guest on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Xwməθkwəyə̓’m (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Alexa’s work spans small- and large-format photography, graphite, and charcoal drawing, each serving as a medium to reveal the magic of unseen realms that exist beyond terrestrial and colonially defined boundaries. Her creative process is deeply rooted in the energies of her Indigenous ancestral territories, an animistic understanding of interconnectedness, and the transformative power of conscious healing.
In her recent body of work, Alexa delves into the reconciliation of fractured identities, reclaiming and amplifying the silenced voices of her matrilineal ancestors. Her art bridges past and present, weaving together lineage, memory, and spirit in a reclamation of cultural and personal histories.
A dedicated photographer since the age of 16, Alexa discovered her passion for the wet plate collodion process in 2015, sparking a profound connection to the alchemy of analog photography. She honed her drawing skills in 2022 through a nine-month sponsorship at the Barcelona Academy of Art. In 2023, she elevated her wet plate practice to crafting mammoth plates under the mentorship of acclaimed photographer, John Coffer.
Through her evocative work, Alexa invites viewers into liminal spaces where identity, memory, and ancestral reverence converge, offering a timeless exploration of connection, resilience, and transformation.
EXHIBITIONS
2016 - My Old Soul - All Island Art Show Ḵay Llnagaay Museum - Haida Gwaii
2018 - Wild Like Moonlight - The Station House Gallery - Williams Lake
2018 - Wild Like Moonlight & Star Child Series - at Indigenous Health Hub- Vancouver
2018 - Wild Like Moonlight & Star Child Series - for Bent on Art Festival at Kootenay school of arts - Nelson
2018 - Wild Like Moonlight & Star Child Series for Bent on Art Festival at Fernie Museum - Fernie
2018 - Grey Sky Island of Jewels & Medicine Tongue - Ghosts of Electricity Group Show at Smoke The Moon - Los Angeles
2021 - Cartomancy Series: Major + Minor Arcana - Habit Coffee Shop - Victoria
2021 - Cartomancy Series: Major Arcana - Gastown Tattoo Parlour - Online
2021 - Cartomancy Series- Oxygen Art Centre - Online
2022- Cartomancy Series- The Loft 112 - Calgary
2022- Cartomancy Series- Weesageechak 35 - Toronto
2024 - Cartomancy Series- SEITES STUDIO, The Collector's Gallery of Art, Romana Kaspar-Kraft, Calgary
2024- Cartomancy Series- Earthtones Digital Museum: Magic Items - Online and offline, Montreal
2026 - Cartomancy Series- Nikki Gallery, New Orleans, LA
PUBLISHED
2014 - HABITAT; Nambia and Maroc Super 8 Film - Featured Artist - Invisible City Magazine Issue 08 - Online
2016 - With Darkness as Her Teacher - Featured Artist - VAMP MEDIA - Online.
2020 - Feature article - Discorder Magazine - Winter edition.
2020 - Feature spread - Inner Sleeve Magazine - Winter edition.
2023 - 12th edition Coyopapalotl Itemic - Featured Artist - SEITIES magazine, theme: DREAMS.
AWARDS
2020 - Canada Council of the Arts: Explore and Create grant recipient
2021 - First Place Monovisions Fine Art Black and White Photography: Ne Timikilis Pal Ne Kuyut Papalut
2022 - Native Earth 40 Seeds for 40 Seasons award
2022- Canada Council of the Arts: Concept to Realization grant recipient
2023- Grand Prize Winner Monovisions Conceptual Series of the Year: Datura’s Secrets
2023- ND Awards Photo Contest Winner: Ne Timikilis Pal Ne Kuyut Papalut
2024- Exposure One Awards: Bronze and Honorary Mention in Professional Fashion and Beauty.
2024- Canada Council of the Arts: Explore and Create grant recipient for TUNAL: the sun, spirit, and culture of the last Nahuablantes
RELEVANT EDUCATION
2016- Studio Q Daguerreotype Workshop Wetplate Collodion Negatives & Tin Type Positives - Vancouver
Fall/Winter 2016 - Academy of Fine Arts of Montreal Intensive Program - Montreal
Fall/ Winter/ Spring 2022 & 2023 - Barcelona Academy of Art Full Time Drawing Program (sponsored)
Fall 2023- Mammoth Wetplate Mentorship with John Coffer- Dundee, New York