JADE MIKELL (b. 1996) is a disabled artist and activist working within institutional critique. She lives on unceded Lək̓ʷəŋən land by way of unceded Taystayič. She earned her BFA with Distinction from the University of Victoria in 2023.

Mikell investigates inheritance, labour, hierarchy, identity, community, social currency and sustainability. She cites her lived-experiences in an Anthroposophic community and undergoing ABA therapy to identify, upend and communicate the demoralising and endangering effects of institutional inaccessibility. Mikell inspects the moral inadequacy assigned to disability in these environments through repurposing associated semiotics, often posited to have curative effect.

Mikell’s work has been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and has been acquired by collectors internationally. Her art and activism work has been published in artist features and articles, she has been interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation andshe has lectured with the Esquimalt Art Gallery.

During my Hektor residency, I would endeavour to learn intimately from the land I would be fortunate enough to visit, which would culminate in creating a small collection of paintings for exhibition or presentation. As a disabled artist and activist whose practice reflects disabled lived experience, these works would intend to articulate the unique capacity in which my disabled body interacted with Lanzarote’s ecosystem. The goal of my residency would be not only the completion of interconnected paintings that reflect upon how vital it is for disabled people to exist autonomously with the land, but also to conclude the experience with a greater understanding of the biosphere that held and welcomed me during that time.

In my practice I locate supplies entirely from sources that interrupt the sequence of consumption and disposal, emphasising upcycled, salvaged, and repurposed materials. This core focus of my process enables me to reflect on how accessibility and sustainability often conflict and inquiries how we might practise conservation while prioritising inclusivity. It would be a tremendous honour to attend a Hektor residency.