My name is Jo Daisy Gowan, and I am not going to write in the third person to make it look like someone else is describing me. Thank you for being here. 

Rooted in painting and writing (while extended to other materials as the feeling strikes) my practise is guided by the alchemical study of relational experiences. The murky spaces between what is loved, lost, grieved, and desired are the muse.   The lens I create through is deeply informed by my years spent in the occupation of caretaking. Both with individuals at the end of life and early years stages.

I write this from my studio, the window looking out to the downtown core of what is colonially called “Victoria, BC”. Steps away from this space is the the inner harbour, traditionally a place of trade and gathering for the Coast Salish nations, including but not limited to the Lək̓ʷəŋən, Xʷsepsəm, and Songhees. 

As not only a settler to these lands, but also an artist, student, and friend, my priority is to walk with humility, care, and the knowledge I must continuously build, tear down, and repair my understanding of how to be a responsible witness and contributor to decolonization.

Support Indigenous artists, activists, and knowledge keepers with your time, attention, and capital. 

Read the 94 calls to action, and then read them again. 

Free Palestine and Fuck bylaw.