The soft aroma of Devil’s Club drifted through the air. A mixture of Indigenous flowers, juniper, sage and cedar dusted the ground, remnants from the opening of Manuel Axel Strain’s solo exhibition at the Richmond Art Gallery (RAG), titled xʷən̓iwən ce:p kʷθəθ nəw̓eyəł ((((Remember your teachings)))), which opened on September 13 and runs until November 9, 2025.

Around the gallery hang large photographs of natural and urban settings interwoven with clouds, trees, and waters, punctuated by pictograms in bold, vibrant colours. At the centre of the gallery stands the exhibition’s focal point: a physical re-interpretation of a traditional longhouse.