Credit: Ruvan Wijesooriya
Mohawk artist Skawennati, BFA 92, GrDip 96, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts, one of Canada’s most prestigious distinctions for visual and media artists. One of eight artists honoured this year, she received an Artistic Achievement Award.
The Montreal-based, multidisciplinary artist explores Indigenous futures through a diverse body of work spanning digital media, fashion, textiles and film. Using virtual worlds and gaming technologies as creative tools, she creates immersive works that have garnered international acclaim for their inventive blend of art, technology and storytelling.
Skawentti’s impact was on display this summer when she brought Indigenous futurism to Montreal’s streets through a public installation that transformed a heritage building into a powerful statement of presence and politics.
Beyond her artistic practice, Skawennati is also a Concordia research associate and co-director of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace, the research-creation studio she co-founded.
A selection of works by the 2026 Governor General’s Awards recipients will be featured in an exhibition at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick, beginning November 7, 2026.