Michelle Sound
okāwīsimāk nawac kwayask itōtamwak |
Aunties do it better

daphne’s street-facing windowfront, just south of the refurbished Plaza Saint-Hubert, is prime real estate. Montréal’s first Indigenous artist-run centre sits just steps away from the bustling energy of fabric and textile stores, wedding-gown and prom-dress shops, and other long-running special-event clothing businesses. 

Once inside the small, intimate gallery, visitors are greeted by an assortment of colourful circles dotting its white walls. On a late winter’s day, with the warmth of the sun struggling to find its way through the low-lying clouds, the exhibition by the Cree and Métis artist Michelle Sound, okāwīsimāk nawac kwayask itōtamwak | Aunties do it better, is a generous invitation to witness rich personalities and storylines embedded in the beautifully detailed structures of handmade drums.