Nature’s Wild Children presents a solo-exhibition of works by leading Canadian photographer, Shelley Niro. A featured series of larger-than-life images of a group of Niro’s close friends and family members ground the exhibition and represent selections from her most recent project in portraiture.

Portraits of the people I love is always fulfilling for me. It’s time well spent, preparing for the shot and then taking the photo. It does take time to set up the lights, the camera, the ambience. We laugh, and generally have a good time, even if it’s for a short time. This will be an ongoing project. I’ve only included five portraits here.

SAM is an old friend. A beadwork artist. He is well known for his technique and the beautiful objects he makes. He participated in this photo after summer and the isolation of Covid.

WANDA is energetic and full of zing. She electrifies the environment she comes into.  She visited one winter night. I asked if I could take her photo and she obliged with smiles and much laughter.

ELWOOD hails from Saskatoon. He has invested much into the Indigenous cultural scene of Ontario. His knowledge and heartfelt welcoming make for a greater sense of feeling accepted and heard.

RAVEN is thirteen years of age. She is creating a sense of self and seeks to become a visual artist. This time is precious as we know it will move quickly.

ABI is fourteen years of age. She is strong and will contribute to her society in a positive way. Her portrait is a reflection on her future.

-Shelley Niro

Independently and collectively, the individuals honoured in these works reveal the strength of presence and self-determination of the contemporary Indigenous identity that Niro seeks to convey in her artistic practice. Shown alongside these portraits, images of landscape from Niro’s ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) support the essential relationship between the land and Niro’s past and present communities.

Shelley Niro has exhibited her photographs, films, and sculptural installations internationally across Canada, the United States and Europe. Recent solo-exhibitions have included presentation at Nuit Blanche, Toronto, 2022; YYZ Toronto, 2022; Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina, 2022; Art Gallery of South-Western Manitoba, Brandon, 2021; Robert Langlin Art Gallery of Laurier University, Waterloo, 2020; Art Gallery of Peterborough, 2019; and Art Gallery of Hamilton, 2018. Niro has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2017 Scotiabank Photography Award, the 2017 Governor Generals Award, and the 2012 Ontario Arts Council