The Art Caravan first saw Daphne Odjig‘s work hanging in the hallway of an elementary school in the north end of Winnipeg. Was it an original print? Was it a poster? I don’t know, and all that matters is that it was my introduction to this great artist.
Classmates by Daphne Odjig
Was it the Cubist inflections in her work that caught my eye? I know that her subject matter–the celebration of life around us–has kept me interested in her art.
In 1973 Ms Odjig helped create the Professional Native Indian Artists Association. She is a member of the informal Aboriginal Group of Seven along with Jackson Beardy, Eddie Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morriseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez.
Ms Odjig is 95 years old. She talks frankly about her age, and her art, in this interview from the National Gallery of Canada.
Her work has been featured on Canadian postage stamps, and used as inspiration for clothing. She has received several honorary degrees, and has been awarded the Order of Canada. In 2007, she was awarded a Governor General’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Visual and Media Arts.
