Honky Tonk Chapel curated by UBC Okanagan Gallery Curator, Dr. Stacey Koosel features Kevin McKenzie’s well-known series of resin-cast, neon glowing buffalo skulls, in an installation which juxtaposes pop culture, muscle cars, hot rods and honky tonk bar references with sacred icons intrinsic to Indigenous traditional beliefs and spirituality, such as buffalo skulls and religious motifs.
MAY 10 TO AUGUST 22, 2024, FINA GALLERY
Kevin McKenzie was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and is a member of the Cowessess First Nation on Treaty 4 territory. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s with his self-described ‘lowbrow’ buffalo skull series 426 Hemi (2010), Hot Rod Buffalo (2003), Red Voodoo (2010) and Immortals (2010) which were acquired by the National Gallery of Canada.
Honky Tonk Chapel combines some of Kevin McKenzie’s best known works with new paintings from his Indigenous comic book hero series.