Mo Thunder

Last updated
Mo Thunder
Born
Monique Bedard
EducationFanshawe College, University of Lethbridge
Known forMurals, Interdisciplinary Art
Website https://mo-thunder.com/

Mo Thunder (also known as Monique Bedard) is a Haudenosaunee (Oneida Nation of the Thames), Anishinaabe (Aamjiwnaang First Nation) and French Canadian artist and activist. They live and practice in Toronto, Ontario. Mo formerly went by the artist alias Aura Last. They are known for their mural works and prints, which are found around the City of Toronto. [1] Their work is inspired by family, intergenerational connections and memory. [2] Their work often reinterprets Indigenous pedagogies through an artistic lens and has been noted as illustrative of Indigenous Education for teachers. [3]

Contents

Mo is an artist in the Indigenous art sector of Toronto and Canada. Their work is widely seen in many locations and their work has also been exhibited in galleries and museums across Canada. Their work has been covered in media outlets in the art and scholarly community, including by Toronto Metropolitan University, [4] Future Pathways, [5] Artworx.to [6] and Art Windsor. [7]

Career

Mo Thunder is well known for their murals, though they work in multiple media and are a multidisciplinary artist. [2] They hold a BFA in studio art from Fanshawe College and the University of Lethbridge, though they note that they are also self and community taught. [2] Much of their work focuses on youth advocacy and leadership, especially working with Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ young people, notably the Earth Sky Collective. [2]

Their work can be found all over Toronto, including in Underpass Park, [8] University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, [9] Leslieville, [10] Toronto Metropolitan University, [11] Gladstone Hotel, [12] and the Scadding Court Community Pool. [10]

They have also been interviewed or had their work featured in various media outlets and festivals, including the CBC, [13] the Luminato Festival, [14] Scarborough Arts [15] and Daily Hive. [16]

In 2020, they were featured in an episode of Future History, produced by Sarain Fox, which featured their work as a main focal point of Indigenous organizing in Toronto. [17]

Awards

YearAward NameNomination Status
2024Exhibition of the Year Budget over $20,000 Thematic (Galleries Ontario Galleries) [18] Awarded
2024Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Arts Award (Emerging Artist) [19] Awarded

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References

  1. ↑ CBC Communications (2022). "Community shown through illustrators eyes".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Thunder, Mo (2024). "About 1 - MO THUNDER".
  3. ↑ Myers, Marrielle; Kokka, Kari; Gutiérrez, Rochelle (November 2023). "Maintaining Tensions: Braiding as an Analogy for Mathematics Teacher Educators' Political Work". Education Sciences. 13 (11): 1100. doi: 10.3390/educsci13111100 . ISSN   2227-7102.
  4. ↑ Boissiere, Kimberly (2022). "Artwork by Mo Thunder, Animikiik'otcii Maakaai, and Edan Maxam".
  5. ↑ Future Pathways (2022). "Fireside Chats (Mo Thunder [Aura])".
  6. ↑ Artworx.to (2022). "Listen.Learn.Act" (PDF). Artworx.to (3).
  7. ↑ McCallum, Mary Jane Logan; Tucker, Julie Rae (2024). Nii Ndahlohke. Mary Jane Logan McCallum. doi:10.36939/ir.202406211414. hdl:10680/2153. ISBN   978-1-0688986-0-0.
  8. ↑ Mural Routes. "Multipli'city: Meet the Artists".
  9. ↑ University of Toronto News. "HCS West Hallway Mural Complete" . Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 Thunder, Mo (2024). "Photos".
  11. ↑ Toronto Metropolitan University (2025). "Indigenous Placemaking".
  12. ↑ Gladstone Hotel (2021). "Mo Thunder".
  13. ↑ CBC (2020). "Future History".
  14. ↑ Luminato Festival (23 August 2024). "Did you know artists who were live painting @ Luminato have murals on the Lansdowne Underpass #mural". YouTube .
  15. ↑ Scarborough Arts. "Celebrate Local Indigenous Artists" . Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  16. ↑ Brennan, Katy (2022). ""Immersive storytelling is the future": How this creator uses AR to connect Canadians and drive change".
  17. ↑ Fox, Sarain (2020). "Future History".
  18. ↑ Galleries Ontario Galleries (2024). "Announcing the Winners of the 2024 GOG Awards".
  19. ↑ Ontario Arts Council (2024). "Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Arts Award Laureates".
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