Alex Janvier is among the most important figures in the development of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada. This retrospective presents more than 150 works created from 1950 to the present day and recounts the story of a life devoted to art and the re-empowerment of Indigenous cultures. Over a prolific sixty-five-year career Janvier has produced thousands of paintings and many public commissions, all in a unique style, recognizable for its calligraphic lines, vivid colours, Dene iconography and forms that evoke land, sky, galaxies and microscopic life. Janvier is part of a distinguished group of artists in Canada who have brought Indigenous beliefs, issues and aesthetics to the foreground and successfully combined them with Western art styles and techniques. ~ National Gallery of Canada website
Yesterday marked the opening of painter Alex Janvier’s gorgeous retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada. I slipped in for the members tour before catching the 6:00pm opening ceremony, which included traditional dancing, honour songs, prayers and a speech by Janvier in his signature white cowboy hat and black suit.
There’s so much to tell about the background to the exhibition, but I’ll substitute my usual history lesson for a photographic preview of Mr. Janvier’s work (see below).
I invite you to see the exhibition in person, then cross the river to see his domed masterpiece of muraling, Morning Star, at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. Finally, because art is a bridge to sharing and understanding cultures, and, in this case, our shared histories, I encourage you to delve into the history of Indian residential schools in Canada, cultural genocide, the Indian Act, and the possibilities for reconciliation amongst all the peoples of this country.
The catalogue for the exhibition, sold in the museum bookstore and online, is a great place to start.
For information on guided tours and other associated activities click here.
