400 Drums, an indigenous-owned company in Canada that specializes in sustainable, economic, and community development plans, is making indigenous artwork available to communities nationwide.
The company is offering print and digital collections of native paintings and other artworks through the purchase of physical art collections and digitized versions in the form of NFts. To ensure the artists of the artworks are receiving the proceeds, which they will use to care for their homes while being able to work from their native reserves, is applying blockchain technology inside collectible NFTs which allows the art to always show the indigenous lineage, which is certified by 400 Drum’s indigenous certification system.
To help the artist’s get their work out to purchasers, 400 Drums simplifies the process for them by taking the projects to the marketplace such as an art installation or auction, creating the digital pieces, and professionally scanning the pieces if a limited edition gallery is going to be set up.
Each piece is protected by the IndigiSeal, a seal of legitimacy or authenticity certifying and verifying the origin of the work as truly made by an indigenous artist. The 400 Drums IndigiSeal is 85% of all Indigenous art sold worldwide is appropriated and not from true indigenous artists. Through the IndigiSeal, 400 Drums aims to protect not only the sacred tapestry of the ancient art, but also protect the buyers, guaranteeing they are purchasing truly authentic art.
In addition the artwork will be available to be purchased for image use which consists of using the artwork on architecture projects, public display, or in digital print. When people buy indigenous artwork they are not just buying a piece of art, they are getting a multi-sensory piece of culture.
The indigenous economic and legal systems are based in artwork so by showcasing and providing the artwork, 400 Drums is increasing the economic prosperity for indigenous people. One of the art projects the organization is currently offering limited edition prints of the Four Sacred Medicines.
The project began with a large corporation commissiong four custom paintings based on the Four Sacred Medicines. These paintings will inspire a collection of commercial carpets. The carpets have been designed by four artists from different First Nations. One of the designs focuses on a frog around a cedar tree with cherry bark. In the native culture the frog is the first one to recognize when something is wrong with the ecosystem, which signifies the growing disappearance of cedar trees throughout Canada.
““There is a lot of support to do this across Canada because people feel in a sense that they are connecting to something sacred. Why wouldn’t you want to feel that respect for the land that we walk upon and see these beautiful pieces of art that are inspired by those lands? This connection is easily lost in a world of instant gratification and distraction. We want to help people to connect to their roots and to honor what has often been overlooked. People are crying out for this connection to the past and to art created with a deeper meaning,” says Tamara Goddard, CEO of 400 Drums.
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Name: Branden Dame
Email: branden@fourourfuture.com
Published by: Omar Hamdi