Nico Williams’s NDN Market Essentials presents four distinct “sets” in vibrant orange, yellow, green and light blue – each comprised of a trucker hat, a lighter, and a pack of American Spirit cigarettes. At first glance, these everyday objects evoke consumer culture and modern convenience, yet Williams transforms them through meticulous beadwork – a deeply rooted Indigenous art form – into vibrant, handcrafted statements.

By recreating commercial commodities entirely with beads – including the cigarette packs, lighters, and hat emblems – Williams humorously and critically asserts Indigenous presence within mainstream culture. The work plays with themes of identity, appropriation, and resilience, using Indigenous-inspired humor to challenge the boundaries between tradition and contemporary life. NDN Market Essentials is a witty, vibrant celebration of the complexities of Indigenous existence today.