Contents
Daphne Odjig
Helping establish Indigenous artists’ independent place in Canada’s art world.
Tales from the Smokehouse · Folk Singer
- Born
- 11 September 1919
- Birthplace
- Wiikwemkoong, Canada
- Died
- 1 October 2016
More people
Daphne Odjig
Daphne Odjig was a Canadian artist whose flowing shapes and bold colours explored family, history and Indigenous experience. She was a founding force in the Professional Native Indian Artists Association.
Early life
Manitoulin childhood
Grew up in Wiikwemkoong in a family that encouraged drawing and making things.
First mentor
Her grandfather Jonas, a stonecarver, nurtured her interest in art while she recovered from rheumatic fever.
Career
- 1960s
Manitoba drawings
Gained recognition for drawings of Cree people and community life.
- 1971
Independent enterprise
Opened Odjig Indian Prints of Canada in Winnipeg.
- 1974
New Warehouse Gallery
Expanded the enterprise into a gallery representing Indigenous artists.
Selected work
Tales from the Smokehouse
Illustrated Herbert T. Schwarz’s collection of traditional stories.
Folk Singer
Created the painting later featured on a Canadian commemorative coin.
National Gallery retrospective
A major exhibition brought together decades of drawings and paintings.
Beyond work
Family partnership
Her second husband Chester Beavon helped develop the Winnipeg art enterprise.
Later years
Continued sketching despite arthritis affecting her drawing hand.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Artist biography ↗Photo: Misterlobat. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
