This Indigenous artist created miniatures as a child to escape into a world of 'magic, imagination and fun'
Now Lance Cardinal is making it his mission to inspire youth and share Indigenous culture
Lance Cardinal is a First Nations, 2-Spirit artist, designer, and television personality from the Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory. He's known for his work on the new Indigenous jersey logo for the Edmonton Oilers hockey team.
Lance says he started making miniatures as a child, " I remember constructing a working replica of a midway I love to go to in the summertime out of construction paper, glue and tape. I was just six years old and this was one of the only ways I could escape from my troubled and sometimes traumatizing childhood into a world of magic, imagination, and fun."
Although Lance moved to Vancouver in his 20s to work as a set designer, he later returned home to his reserve near Edmonton to teach kids art. He considers his APTN children's art show, Indigenous Art Adventures somewhat of an Indigenous Mr. Rogers, complete with puppets. "I love creating work that allows people to also feel good times, positivity, magic."
He often focuses on TV or movie sets or pop culture references. He's most proud of a replica house he made of the 2017 movie IT.
For Season 3 of Best in Miniature, he wanted to design an Indigenous tipi. "I approach my work with a cultural lens, celebrating First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture within my design choices," he says, "my rooms tell a story visually, they create a mood and atmosphere as if I was creating a set for a stage or film. I try to use a lot of natural materials from Mother Earth, and I use my Cree ideals in decision-making as well."
Watch the video above to take a look inside.
"I am here to represent my people, to show that Indigenous people can be successful, we can be creative, and we can be winners, not in spite of who we are, but because of it."
Watch Best in Miniature on CBC Gem.
