Grads to Watch 2026: Celebrating Indigenous culture and history

Honours Bachelor of Illustration graduate Angus Campbell’s work caught the eye of his professors because of his ability to share his Indigenous culture across a variety of media in a way that encourages education and conversation. A member of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, Campbell's work tells the story of connection to the land and reflects the impact of colonialism in a way that he hopes will help inspire meaningful movement toward reconciliation.

What are some highlights of your time at Sheridan?

Some highlights for me would definitely be time spent with my peers and professors during critiques or receiving one-on-one feedback with the professors. I’ll always value those interactions.

Your fourth-year thesis project features your work in an Indigenous clothing line called Sundance Spirit. What inspired it?

I wanted to tell stories of Indigenous knowledge-based systems that have existed for centuries on clothing that could be worn and used as a conversation or educational piece. I used themes like We are Star People, with depictions of an Indigenous sun and a nautical star symbolizing star navigation, intertwined with Indigenous creation story folklore through a depiction of the grandmother spider on a dream catcher. My intentions with these pieces are to create clothing that can be a vehicle of using art and storytelling to share and celebrate Indigenous heritage and be a stepping stone towards reconciliation.

Did you create any other projects inspired by your Indigenous heritage?

I created a Visual Essay thesis project in fourth year: three life-sized acrylic illustrations called The Body as Territory.  These illustrations reflect the theme that the body is a living landscape shaped by Indigenous knowledge, sport, movement and clean living. Colonial disruption fractured this relationship. My grandfather would tell me how when he was a young man, all of the Indigenous people of Canada were required by law to ask for permission to leave the reserve. Our movement was restricted and our mental and physical health suffered as a result. In my illustrations, movement is a type of visual reclamation and reconnecting of our biological landscape, with our body as a territory being the main message of my visual stories.

“I wish I knew how fast my time would fly by at Sheridan. It's such a gift to be in that environment with all of those amazing and multi-talented people.”

What’s your advice for first year students? Is there anything you wish you’d known when you started at Sheridan?

You’ll hear it over and over, but it’s true: time management. Just be honest with yourself and responsible with your time. Don’t look for or accept any excuses from yourself to start slipping, but don’t get hung up on making a masterpiece with every project.  Always do your best, but don’t let perfectionism be a hindrance to your success.

I wish I knew how fast my time would fly by there. I did my best to enjoy every moment, but man did it ever go by fast. It's such a gift to be in that environment with all of those amazing and multi-talented people.

What’s next for you?

My next step is to further develop and distribute my clothing line. I’m also planning a mural outreach campaign in isolated northern communities with friends. Our aim is to bring large-scale mural art to rural and isolated communities (and) to use mural art to tell local stories in communities to help celebrate local history, culture and our beautiful Canadian natural environments.

Above Photos: Angus Campbell poses with his work.