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Cheyenne Rain LeGrande, Artist – Edmonton

Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ is a Nehiyaw Isko artist from Bigstone Cree Nation. She currently resides in Amiskwaciy Waskahikan, also known as Edmonton. Her work often explores history, knowledge, and traditional practices. Through the use of her body and language, she speaks to the past, present, and future. Bringing her ancestors with her, she moves through installation, photography, video, sound, and performance art. Her work is currently on display in the group exhibition THE MALL at the Mitchell Art Gallery until April 1.

  1. Platform shoes

Anyone who knows me well knows my love for fashion and specifically platform shoes. I often paint Nehiyaw syllabics on my shoes, repeating one word to create a pattern. I usually write my middle name “kimiwan,” which translates to Rain. In this photo you see a digital image of a 3D rendering of one of my platform shoes. I created this AR artwork where the syllabics were moving across the platform boot.

  1. Nipiy

I have such a deep connection to water. I feel the most okay when I am surrounded by water. Many of my performances are in the water, like in this image where I am floating in a pool with a projection of water shining on my body and a sheer fabric.

  1. Nimama: Cikwes 

One of the people who inspires me is Nimama. Connie LeGrande, who performs under the name Cikwes, is an artist, a singer, and a song writer. She was recently nominated for a Juno in the category Indigenous Traditional Artist or Group of the Year. I’m so incredibly proud of her. Her album is beautiful medicine and I’m so thankful she is Nimama. This is the image of her album cover which I designed for her. She is a star.

  1. Moccasins 

Being able to reclaim traditional practices I feel I have lost is really special, and I hold those practices so close to my heart. I recently created a hybrid shoe: a platform moccasin. I wear these in my most recent performance Mullyanne Nîmito. I feel so lucky to be in a generation where I can express myself fully, heal, and speak to my identity here today.

  1. Wabasca sunsets 

There’s something special about the sunsets on your homelands. The sunsets in Wabasca are so beautiful and magical. Often they are these wonderful pastels and they are dreamy! This image is from my performance Mullyanne Nîmito. So thankful for sunsets!

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