My name is Kyle Joedicke, and I am an Indigenous artist from "what is now known as" Hamilton, Ontario, which is situated on the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississauga First Nations.

I have pursued art in different forms and with varying levels of dedication for my entire life. My true education in art didn't start until my adolescence, when I dove headfirst into graffiti culture. This art education was trial by fire, aggressive, and for the most part self-taught. Graffiti is not a form of art that is or can be taught in school, it is entirely taught in the moment. That style of impulsive, and explosive artistic expression is something that has guided my creation ever since.

I have been a graffiti artist for the last 15 years, and that passion has organically transitioned into producing large scale murals in and around Hamilton. Now, however, these murals are imbued with the Indigenous stories, and teachings, that I am in the process of learning.

Over the last five years, I have begun the long journey of re-discovering my indigenous heritage. I am Cayuga, Turtle Clan, from the Six Nations of The Grand River reserve. As a child, I was very close to the indigenous community that my father was a part of, but as I grew older, that connection waned and is now almost non-existent.

Growing up in a primarily white community in Caledonia, Ontario, I learned to hide my identity to fit in, or to "pass" as white. This severance of my identities came to a head, when in my late twenties I seriously struggled with understanding my place in society. I grew up too white for the native community (living off reserve), yet too native for the community I was surrounded by.

Fast forward to March of 2020. The global COVID-19 pandemic shut down nearly every industry and forced most people into lay-off positions. This is where I found myself, struggling with my identity, and pursuing a form of art (graffiti) that has a very limited future. With nothing but time due to being laid off, I began experimenting with acrylic paints, and canvas works as a therapeutic means to deal with the stress of the pandemic. I started emulating the art of Haida formline artist Bill Reid, whose works I had been shown at a young age by my grandmother. These early works pushed my abilities and forced me to learn techniques I had never used before to create art, and I think that yearning to push my boundaries fueled my interest. After a while, I started wanting to explore the art of First Nations closer to my own, and that is when I came upon Norval Morrisseau.

I think seeing my first Morrisseau piece was a watershed moment for me. His vibrant use of colour, and the vivid storytelling of his work opened my mind to creating art in a completely different manner than I had ever approached it before. Through the woodland style of art, I have been able to marry my impulsive, and often chaotic background of graffiti culture with the narrative of my struggle to understand my indigenous identity. These two pieces of myself often clash, but I think together have allowed me to create and maintain cohesive, and attention-grabbing works of art that at their core express my search for answers about myself.

READ: University of Waterloo Tatham Center Mural

“What I'm really trying to convey is a grander sense of community”

READ: “This artist is breathing Indigenous life into Hamilton, one mural at a time” - CBC NEWS

READ: “Indigenous mural brings culture and colour to Concession Street on Hamilton Mountain” - Hamilton Spectator

READ “Sharing indigenous stories through mural art” - The Silhouette

Kyle is a talented and much sought-after Indigenous mural artist who has been commissioned to create several walls of extraordinary art in the Hamilton area.

1. "The Offering." Ottawa Street Market, 3 Britannia Ave, Hamilton.

2. "Thunderbird." Alleyway at 31 Kinrade Ave, Hamilton.

3. "Salmon." Fence adjacent to 22 Belview Ave, Hamilton.

4. "Ottawa Street." 189 Ottawa Street, Hamilton (Merk Snack Bar)

5. "Son Of A Matriarch." 189 Ottawa Street, Hamilton (Inside Merk Snack Bar)

6. "Seven Grandfather Teachings." 576 Concession St, Hamilton (Alley)

7. "Memorial Mural." 414 Barton St, E, Hamilton.

8. "Medicine Wheel Teachings." 205 Melvin Ave, Hamilton. (Not open to public)

9. "Strawberry Teaching." 438 Hughson St, N, Hamilton. (Community Fridge)

10. "Inner Struggle." 105 Walnut St. S, Hamilton. (Shamrock Park)

11. "Clan Animals." 53 Birch Ave, Hamilton. (Powell Park)