Sonny Assu Photography
Canadian, b. 1975
Sonny Assu (Liǥwildaʼx̱w of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations) was raised in North Delta, BC, over 250 km away from his home ancestral home on Vancouver Island. Having been raised as your everyday average suburbanite, it wasn’t until he was eight years old that he discovered his Liǥwildax̱w/Kwakwaka’wakw heritage. Later in life, this discovery would be the conceptual focal point that helped launch his unique art practice.
Assu’s artistic practice is diverse: spanning painting, sculpture, photography, digital art and printmaking. Sonny negotiates Western and Kwakwaka’wakw principles of art making as a means of exploring his family history and the experiences of being an Indigenous person in the colonial state of Canada.
Having cut his teeth in Vancouver’s art scene, Assu packed up and moved to Montreal to be with the love of his life. Five years later, along with his wife and beautiful daughter, Sonny moved back to BC, eventually settling back “home” in unceded Liǥwildaʼx̱w territory (Campbell River, BC.).
Assu received his BFA from the Emily Carr University in 2002 and was the recipient of their distinguished alumni award in 2006. He received the BC Creative Achievement Award in First Nations art in 2011 and was thrice long-listed for the Sobey Art Award. He received his MFA from Concordia University in 2017 and was one of the Laureates for the 2017 REVEAL – Indigenous Art Awards.
His work has been accepted into the National Gallery of Canada, Seattle Art Museum, Vancouver Art Gallery, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, Burke Museum at the University of Washington, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Hydro Quebec, Lotto Quebec and in various other public and private collections across Canada, the United States and the UK.(Biography provided by Art Mûr)
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Artist: Sonny Assu
Longing #6
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.
While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #30
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #1
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #31
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.
While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #24
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.
While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #12
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #3
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #22
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #21
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #29
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #20
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #26
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #27
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.
While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #25
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #19
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.
While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #18
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #17
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #16
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #10
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #7
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #15
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #14
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #8
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #13
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #11
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #9
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #4
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #5
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comical that my nation leased a plot of land, on un-ceded territory, to a company that exploits our resources to assemble log homes to be shipped off to the wealthy around the world.
While exploring the piles of discarded wood, I discovered a unique by-product of this industry: off-cuts that looked remarkably like pre-fabricated Northwest Coast masks. Left to be reclaimed by the earth or chipped up into cat litter...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #23
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #28
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Longing #2
By Sonny Assu
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Four years ago, I stumbled upon the site of a log-home developer on the traditional territory of the We Wai Kai Nation, my reserve on northeastern Vancouver Island. I found it comica...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sonny Assu Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Sonny Assu photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Sonny Assu photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Sonny Assu in archival pigment print, pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Sonny Assu photography, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David Trautrimas, Patrick Beaulieu, and Ysabel Lemay. Sonny Assu photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $1,200, while the average work can sell for $1,200.