“A Day in the Life” with: Multidisciplinary Aritst Rihkee Strapp

Emilea Semancik — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:33:06 +0000

Born of a known terrorist and a shopaholic, Rihkee Strapp is a Red River Metis interarts practitioner best known for producing The Med Fax Podcast and being a silly lil guy. Having never made any art previous to 2017 when I met them, Rihkee is the definition of a nepo baby. Rihkee entered media art with their debut collaboration Pawatamihk, or “dream” in Michif. Years later another Metis artist would request to use Pawatamihk and just like that, the dream was over. The dream of eating dirt like a tradesman with soft hands.

-Written by Teijhler LB

Rihkee Strapp, a multidisciplinary artist in Northern Ontario.

I always begin the day with a prayer.

Whenever I want to get any work done, I have to start by booting up Apex Legends or else my laptop will continuously restart. Anyone on my steam list must think I have an ungodly amount of hours in that game.

I immediately boot up the old desktop version of IMVU and try and connect with an elder online.

Visiting the trunk of my car to gather supplies.

Today the neighbour’s back stairway is the studio.

Meeting with Rylee Pelletier for discussion and tarot practice.

My grandmother is my go-to person for advice. This is a quilt she is making for a friend’s roommate. Being able to exhibit alongside her in Woodland POP! at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and be on an artist panel together, was the height of my career.

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Which neighbourhood are you in?

I am quite nomadic. I am mostly between N’Swakomok the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Baawaating. I was born in Wanamani Saa’ikanink and my family are the rabbit skin people and come from around Winnipeg and the Qu’Appelle Valley. Aluna Theatre brought me to Toronto for the RUTAS Festival. My work Keeoukaywin was displayed at the Theatre Passe Muraille, which was around the neighbourhood I stayed in during my first visit to Toronto when I was 18, where I first watched John Waters’ film Pink Flamingos. Aluna Theatre also graciously invited me to Toronto in the spring of last year, where I stayed in the Weston-Pelham Park area and really enjoyed the green spaces and specialty shops.

What do you do?

I’m an interdisciplinary artist working between online and in-person spaces. I also support other artists in administrative capacities and love doing graphic facilitation work for knowledge-keepers and scientists. I recently began clowning.

What are you currently working on?

Keeoukaywin, which means “visiting” in Michif, is an exploration of how technology has changed our relationships with one another, information, and the land. Each iteration of the work is unique. Keeoukaywin premiered at RUTAS Festival and then made its way to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery including a larger cast of performers.

I am also in the planning stages of an online live-streamed drag show that will showcase contemporary Indigenous clowns from across the province: Tejhler LB, Belmo Belmore, Jordan Fiddler, and Frankie Hernandez.

Where can we find your work?

The majority of my work is found on my website, all the way back to when I was making fake animal corpses out of silicone and plaster gauze.

My clown persona, Miskwa the MAD clown prophet can be found on Instagram and TikTok.

On YouTube and Spotify you can find The Med Fax, a podcast interviewing mostly Indigenous artists from Northern Ontario.

I also share commissioned visual art on Instagram.

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“A Day in the Life” with: Multidisciplinary Aritst Rihkee Strapp