Artist Bio:

Quinn Hopkins (b. 1998) is an artist inspired by new, innovative technologies - connecting them with the land and his roots as an Anishinaabe person. He utilizes techniques such as 3D modeling, digital drawing, editing, creative coding and machine learning as he collaborates with the computer to research, design and create his artworks. His interests are focused on developing new ways to visualize the spirit of the land to reveal the many truths about humanity's relationship with the land. He is not afraid to experiment with new tools and mediums which has led him to create augmented reality art, virtual reality art and non-fungible token art in the past year; that attracted national attention from the media. Hopkins has appeared on CBC The National and Breakfast Television, as well as featured in an article on CBC Indigenous. As a student at OCAD University, Hopkins is young and enthusiastic about his art's ability to inspire action. He is using his resources to build a more equitable space for Indigenous artists in NFT spaces, advocating for Indigenous Sovereignty and decolonization. 

Hopkins comes from a mixed background. He has an Indigenous mother, educated in fine wine and sport fishing, and a father of settler heritage with decades of experience in the tech industry. Hopkins did not have a traditional upbringing according to Anishinaabe standards; yet, he seeks a place amongst his relatives as an artist. He began creating art at the age of 13 when an Anishinaabe educator and artist, Conrad Bobiwash, had begun teaching him to draw in the woodland style. Inspired by the Norval Morrisseau and Daphne Odjig paintings hanging in his best friend's parents' house, Hopkins put a street art spin on his early paintings when he was learning about 80's pop artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. As he practiced and studied, his art practice evolved to include more experimental and contemporary media. Hopkins seeks to continue to evolve with the new technology and mediums available to him. Nothing is out of reach or too scary to try.