RYAN JOSEY is a Nova Scotian artist and writer from Kwimue’katik. Their ancestry is mixed. Their name was invented in Mi’kma’ki by British clerical errors during censuses from 1827 to 1871. Their artistic practice maintains an interest in language, error, translation, and the histories of how our world is inherited.
Josey works from a queer perspective, producing drawings, paintings, photographs, poetry, video and installations that are often interrelated and that often pose questions about borders and belonging.
Their work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally in New York, Turkey and Finland. They have been supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts; Arts Nova Scotia; and have participated in residencies internationally including the New York Arts Practicum (New York); the Centre for Art Tapes (Halifax); the Arteles Creative Centre (Finland); the Khyber Centre for the Arts (Halifax); Plug In ICA partnered with DIS.art (Winnipeg); and Eastern Edge (St.John’s).
Their writing has been published by Visual Arts News, C Magazine, Flash Art, Commo and other outlets. They work with The Blue Building Gallery in Halifax and their experimental writing is published irregularly @ryryjo on Instagram.
