In the conversation titled “On Being a Nehiyaw Alien,” writer and curator Nawang Tsomo Kinkar and artist Cheynne Rain LeGrande discuss why LeGrande embraces this label, which captures the blend of terrestrial rootedness and celestial imagination in their work. Their exchange explores how family, language, style, and Fleetwood Mac come together within LeGrande’s unique interdisciplinary practice.
Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ
Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ is a Nehiyaw artist, from Bigstone Cree Nation. They currently reside in Amiskwaciy Waskahikan also known as Edmonton, Alberta.Their work is an expression of love, intergenerational resilience and intergenerational joy. Through the use of their body and language, they speak to the past, present and future. Cheyenne’s work is rooted in the strength to feel, express and heal. Their work explores the hybrid space between tradition and nehiyaw pop culture. Bringing her ancestors with her, she moves through installation, photography, fashion, video, sound, and performance art.