Ron Benner and Jamelie Hassan
Benner and Hassan are partners in life and in art based in London, Ontario, on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Attawandaron and Huron-Wendat peoples, at the forks of Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River), an area subject to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum and other treaties. Their practices, while different, are both firmly rooted in social and ecological concerns, with a specific interest in combining art and activism. They cofounded Embassy Cultural House, which moved from having a physical base to an online one and brings together artists from different nations and practices.
Ron Benner is an internationally recognized artist whose long-standing practice investigates the history and political economics of food cultures and began to travel and research the politics of plants and food.
Jamelie Hassan is a visual artist and activist. Since the 1970s, she has exhibited widely in Canada and internationally. She is also active as a lecturer, writer, and independent curator. In 2001, she received a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in recognition of her artistic achievements. Her activism, curatorial work, and contributions to the artist-run centre movement in Canada were also mentioned by the jury in their statement.
