Patrick Hunter says it’s "bizarre" to see his Indigenous artwork on display at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Ojibway artist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur collaborated with Winnipeg-based curling apparel company Dynasty Curling to design the uniforms for Canada’s Olympic curling teams.
“I just did a lot of the Indigenous-style artwork for it,” said Hunter, speaking with SooToday from Mount Forest, Ont. Saturday. “On the back is a maple leaf - within the maple leaf, I did a lot of the more organic lines that are inside of it.
“There’s seven trees on the torso that are derived from the seven grandfather teachings. I’m Ojibway, so that’s where those come from.”
Hunter also gave a nod to his Indigenous roots on the sleeves of the jerseys.
“I wanted to send them off with a lot of positive vibes, so on the arm are the four medicines of my people - sage, cedar, tobacco and sweetgrass,” he said.
Originally from Red Lake, Ont., Hunter moved to Toronto more than decade ago in order to pursue a career in the arts after completing the graphic design program at Sault College.
The two-spirited artist established Patrick Hunter Art and Design in 2014, and has since collaborated with a number of high-profile businesses, including Staples, eBay Canada and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.
Hunter says that at one time couldn’t find a job in Toronto, but embracing his Ojibway heritage changed all of that.
“When I really leaned into who I was as a person and my culture, that’s when success really kind of came about,” he said.
Hunter says he’d like to do more artwork for the Olympics in the future. But lately, he’s been eyeing up some real estate in Sault Ste. Marie, where he aims to position himself as a supplier of Indigenous, made-in-Canada products.
“I think that’s a good place to land after all of this stuff,” Hunter said about the Sault. “What I’ve learned through COVID, honestly, is that it doesn’t really matter where you are - as long as you’ve got email, people will still email you.”