Jordan Abel's Dad Era departs from his previous work into a collaboration between prints and poetry that reflects Indigenous joy. The piece is currently being displayed as part of the second edition Polygon Gallery's online exhibition, Parallelogram.
The work speaks to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Well-Being, with Abel's reflection on the potential for joyful family systems, parenthood, and Indigenous communities in Edmonton.
Jordan Abel is a queer Nisga'a writer from Vancouver, known for his books The Place of Scraps, Un/Inhabited and Injun.
The poem opens with an anonymous quotes welcoming another child into the world. It's unclear whether this is coming from someone else congratulating him on becoming a parent, or whether he is speaking to a friend who's also recently had a child.
Before he dives into the rest of the poem, largely addressing his child, Abel considers his own background. He considers his Father, who "disappeared" and "told me nothing".
It feels very deliberate that Abel is choosing to include this stanza towards the beginning of the poem rather than the middle or the end. This is the speaker's background experience that he can't escape, but we carry forth with him as he offers new passages that conjure up an entirely new father, one that he is still building by valuing unconditional love.
Alongside these stanzas, Abel has created prints in Nisga'a style, while incorporating, in some, photos of his surroundings. These prints are frogs, whales, birds, and some are simply photo collages.
We can feel Abel's care for his child throughout this piece, but also, in emphasizing how Edmonton is home, how family and physical place intersect. It is beautiful to be brought along for the journey.
Readers can see the full digital exhibition and Jordan Abel's work through Parallelogram's website.