By the time a given work is complete, those objects have taken on a new identity: white plastic chairs have been turned into the skeleton of a whale suspended in the air; Nike Air Jordan shoes have been ripped apart and restitched into Indian masks; and colourful high-end golf bags are stacked and build into totem poles.

So far, Brian Jungen's work has been exhibited all over the world, from the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, to the Tate Modern. But now, for the first time, the Canadian artist of Swiss and First Nations Dunne-za heritage has a solo show in an American museum. The exhibition, entitled Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort is on display at Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington until August 8, 2010.

Listen to Carol Off's interview with Brian Jungen. (Originally aired October 21, 2009)

(runs 6:32)

Related links:

Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort

CBC does not endorse content of external sites - links will open in new window