When you sculpt dozens of giant beavers, it’s hard to pick a favourite

The artist Kent Monkman is known for challenging the way Indigenous people have been represented over the centuries in Western art – often flipping the script so that Indigenous stories are front and centre. Now, Kent is unveiling his very first public art installation. It’s a 15-foot high sculpture called The Colony, and it was just unveiled as part of the Lassonde Art Trail in Toronto. The Colony features a group of larger-than-life beavers, who are singing, dancing, and celebrating. Kent speaks to Tom Power about the significance of having his first public art exhibition, why he chose beavers as the subject, and the humour he brings to dark subjects.