Portraits by Toronto's photo laureate Nadya Kwandibens part of city's Doors Open festival

A photography exhibit featuring portraits of Indigenous people will be on display outside Toronto City Hall for the next two months.

Nadya Kwandibens, who is Toronto's photo laureate, recently had portraits from her Red Chair Sessions series installed at Nathan Phillips Square as part of both the Contact photography festival and Doors Open Toronto. 

Kwandibens is Anishinaabe (Ojibway) from Animakee Wa Zhing #37 First Nation (formerly Northwest Angle) in northwestern Ontario. 

The installation features nine 2.3-metre tall portraits photographed in and around Toronto. 

"Some of the portraits, they really do look like they're larger than life," she said.

Her Red Chair Sessions series featured 35 prominent Indigenous community members, including journalist and author Tanya Talaga and fashion designer Sage Paul. 

She said she felt it resonated with people.

"Red chair, to me, represents Indigenous peoples' connection to the land, where we come from, the places and different nations that we visit," Kwandibens said. 

"That red, that blood colour, a connection to our ancestors."

She said she thinks of the sessions as visiting with people and getting to know them, thereby creating a safe space for her subjects to relax and be themselves.

Talaga said Kwandibens has taken one of her favourite headshots which she'll be using on the jacket of her next book.

"She's a master of what she does and the stories she tells with her photographs are so incredible and beautiful," said Talaga.

"I think it's important to have, especially, you know an Anishinaabe woman, she sees you for who you are."

She recalled Kwandibens brought the red chair to her home in the east end in an Uber and then they carted it to the beach. 

"My daughter had to come along as well and help us carry the chair to the water," she said. 

Having lived in the area for over 25 years, Talaga said Lake Ontario is a special place for her.  

Hidden histories theme

Doors Open is an annual event where buildings of architectural, historic, cultural, and social significance — including some that may not otherwise be open to the public — offer free access.

Jeanne Holmes, Toronto's manager of programming for city cultural events, said this year's Doors Open theme is Hidden Histories, which encompasses the stories that aren't told or widely known about the city.

For example, the area that's now Nathan Phillips Square, she said, was a neighbourhood that was a receiving point for new immigrants from the 1890s through to the 1950s. The land was then expropriated to build the new City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. 

"So we're doing site walks that sort of talk about the different elements of the square and give people like a little bit of insider knowledge about things that they might not necessarily know, literally are happening under their feet," said Holmes.

Liz Zeppa, who works with Doors Open, said Kwandibens's body of work not only aligns with the theme of Hidden Histories, but advances the discourse of reconciliation and Indigenous people as stewards of our lands.

"I'm just happy to move forward with it because it's just such a beautiful body of work to present," she said.

Kwandibens's portraits will be on display at Nathan Phillips Square until June 25. They will also be highlighted during City Hall's participation in Doors Open May 25-26.