Fjällräven is launching the sixth edition of Kånken Art on April 15. Kånken Art is a project that asks renowned artists to express their relationship to nature while using a Kånken backpack as their canvas.
This year, Fjällräven collaborated with Charlene Johnny, a Coast Salish artist from the Quw’utsun Tribes of Duncan, B.C. residing on the unceded territory of her relatives the xwməθkwəy̓ əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh Nations. Charlene began collaborating with Fjällräven back in 2020 when she customized backpacks for the Fjällräven store in Kitsalano. “My relationship with Fjällräven grew from there when I was invited to be a store guide. As I got to know the brand, I had a dream and a vision to become a Kånken artist”, says Charlene.
For Kånken Art 2024, Charlene and Fjällräven have come together to create a one-of-a-kind Kånken that explores and expresses Charlene’s ancestral artwork, making her dream a reality.“Kånken means to carry. We carry teachings, we carry knowledge, we carry language. I think it is important for Indigenous people to carry forward what our ancestors have gifted us,” said Charlene Johnny. “All of my inspiration for Coast Salish art comes from our ancestors and the gifts they have given us.”
Charlene drew inspiration for Kånken Art from a piece she did in 2013 of an old spindle whorl. Charlene’s ancestors have been weaving and knitting for generations. The grey bag is a nod to the color of wool often seen in knitted sweaters. The graphic elements on the bag make up the shape of salmon heads and a human face. Much of Charlene’s artwork draws inspiration from her ancestral land. “When you are looking at Coast Salish art, a lot of the motifs come from nature. Everything is a gift from nature,” said Charlene Johnny. “It’s kind of like sacred geometry. This is the fundamentals of Coast Salish art.”
A portion of proceeds from Kånken Art 2024 go to the Arctic Fox Initiative, which supports environmental and climate projects chosen by the artist. This year a donation of $70,000 CAD from Artic Fox Initiative goes to Stqeeye’ Learning Society, an Indigenous led non-profit organization based on Salt Spring Island, BC in the traditional territory of the Quw’utsun Peoples. The non-profit was created by family descendants, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Youth and other like-minded individuals for the common purpose of restoring the land and cultural sharing.
The donation is planned to contribute to the Youth on the land project. Stqeeye’ is committed to focusing on youth, to close the circle between the future and the past, by bringing critical information from Elders to the next generation, and to ensure intergenerational transfer of knowledge. This education ensures that Indigenous people have the knowledge to advocate for the Indigenous rights of self-determination and free, prior and informed consent. “Youth come to the land and learn about their culture in a way that they don’t get to at home. They learn about the people from here and get nurtured by our team. We want to expand the program and this donation will allow us to do that.”
For Charlene, choosing the donation recipient was easy: “When it came to selecting the organization to work alongside with, I was so excited to bring Stqeeye’ Learning Society in without hesitation. This organization is based in one of our traditional villages, Xwaaqw’um (Burgoyne Bay, Salt Spring Island.) I am really excited to support the work that they do, not only because we share kinship in our territory, but also because I share the same values as Stqeeye’ in preserving the land and enabling our youth and elders to access the land, learn and preserve the land and nature. Supporting the good work that they do, is supporting our society as a whole.”
Charlene Johnny is a Coast Salish artist from the Quw’utsun Tribes of Duncan, B.C. residing on the unceded territory of her relatives the xwməθkwəy̓ əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh Nations. She began her career in 2012 when she won two artist grants from the YVR Art Foundation working with business, graphic design, photography, glass, and textiles. She has apprenticed under well-known artists and has formal art training from Native Education College. She graduated from the silver and copper carving program in 2018. She became a full-time artist in 2020, with her main practice in graphic design and mural art. With her interdisciplinary approach to art, she will continue to work in various mediums to explore and express her ancestral artwork through a number of contemporary ways. Find out more about Charlene’s inspiring work expressed through fine art prints, jewellery, home decoration, cards, stickers and more at charlenejohnny.com
