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Kent Monkman Challenges History at the Denver Art Museum

2018| “Victory for the Water Protectors.”

INDIGENOUS ART REWRITES COLONIAL NARRATIVES IN A MUST-SEE EXHIBIT

Ana Lourdes Narváez / El Comercio de Colorado

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The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is hosting the exhibition “Kent Monkman: History is Painted by the Victors,” on view until August 17. This show marks the first major U.S. retrospective of the renowned artist Kent Monkman, presented in collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Monkman, a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, has become a key figure in contemporary art for his ability to reimagine history through an Indigenous lens. Based in New York and Toronto, he is known for provocative works that challenge Western narratives and highlight Indigenous resilience in the face of colonialism.

The exhibition brings together 41 monumental works, combining iconic pieces with recent projects and loans from international collections. Among them is “History is Painted by the Victors” (2013), where Monkman contrasts scenes of conquest with images exposing the Indigenous suffering hidden by official accounts.

Past and Present in Dialogue

A particularly moving moment comes with “The Scream” (2017), which portrays the harrowing drama of Indigenous children separated from their families by the boarding school system. Through bold colors and impactful compositions, Monkman conveys the brutality of this historic violence.

This piece powerfully converses with “Victory for the Water Protectors” (2018), a work that celebrates the contemporary resistance of Indigenous communities defending their natural resources. While “The Scream” exposes a historical wound, “Victory for the Water Protectors” reflects today’s collective strength.

Kent Monkman Challenges History at the Denver Art Museum

2017| “The Scream.” (Fotos/DAM)

Works from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The significance of this exhibition lies in its call to reclaim the right to tell history from the Indigenous perspective. Monkman not only revisits the past but revitalizes memory and cultural pride, confronting injustices that still endure today.

Moreover, the DAM is presenting for the first time in Denver the twin paintings “mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People): Welcoming the Newcomers” and “Resurgence of the People,” on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, further emphasizing the exhibition’s international reach.

“Kent Monkman: History is Painted by the Victors” is a must-visit for those seeking to understand art as a tool for resistance and transformation.