LaTiesha Fazakas facts for kids
LaTiesha Fazakas, born in 1971, is a Canadian art expert. She is a curator, which means she helps organize art shows. She is also a filmmaker and an art dealer, someone who buys and sells art. LaTiesha specializes in art from the Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples. She owns and runs Fazakas Gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia, which focuses on contemporary Indigenous art.
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LaTiesha Fazakas's Career
After finishing her studies in Art History at the University of British Columbia, LaTiesha Fazakas worked for almost 11 years at an Indigenous art gallery in Vancouver. In 2013, she decided to open her own gallery, Fazakas Gallery.
Fazakas Gallery: A Special Art Space
Fazakas Gallery is a unique art space that focuses on modern Indigenous art. It explores how different cultures connect through art. The gallery has shown works by many important contemporary Indigenous artists. These include Northwest Coast artists like Beau Dick, Rande Cook, and Don Yeomans, and Inuit artist Maureen Gruben. The gallery has also displayed art at many art fairs across North America. Some of these include Seattle Art Fair, NADA, Papier, and Art Toronto.
Organizing Art Exhibitions
LaTiesha Fazakas has also worked as an independent curator, organizing special art shows.
Beau Dick's Art at Documenta 14
In 2017, Fazakas helped organize the art of Kwakwaka'wakw artist and chief Beau Dick for a big international art show called Documenta 14. This show took place in Athens, Greece, and Kassel, Germany. Beau Dick's art received praise from all over the world. This helped bring contemporary Northwest Coast art to a global audience.
Beau Dick: Devoured by Consumerism Exhibition
In 2019, LaTiesha Fazakas helped organize Beau Dick's first solo art show in New York. The exhibition was called Beau Dick: Devoured by Consumerism. She worked with Matthew Higgs at White Columns, a gallery in New York. This exhibition was also shown at the Remai Modern in Saskatchewan from June to September 2019.
Books About Art
LaTiesha Fazakas also wrote a book that went along with the Beau Dick: Devoured By Consumerism exhibition. This book is a catalogue, which is like a detailed guide, showing the life and art of Beau Dick. It includes essays from other writers like John Cussans and Candice Hopkins. The book has many colorful photos of Beau Dick’s masks. It also has short descriptions that explain what the masks mean culturally. The book was published by Figure 1, working with Fazakas Gallery in Vancouver.
Making Films
In the fall of 2017, Fazakas released her first full-length documentary film. A documentary is a non-fiction film that tells a true story. This film was called Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick. She co-directed it with Canadian film producer Natalie Boll. The film shows Beau Dick's life and his art, connecting it to old traditions, cultural movements, and the modern art world. In the film, Fazakas says that "Anyone that has encountered a piece of Beau's, immediately has an emotional reaction to it." The film also includes many interviews with Beau Dick himself. He talks about carving masks and his experiences growing up. The film first premiered at the 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival. Meet Beau Dick: Maker of Monsters later won the Cultural Currents Award at the Victoria International Film Festival.
