Daphne Odjig, D.Litt LL. D. (September 11, 1919 – October 1, 2016), was a Canadian
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
artist of
Odawa
The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...
-
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
-
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
heritage. Her paintings are often characterized as
Woodlands Style
Woodlands style, also called the Woodlands school, Legend painting, Medicine painting,
''Native Am ...
or as the pictographic style.
She was the driving force behind the Professional Native Indian Artists Association, colloquially known as the
Indian Group of Seven
The Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI), informally known as the Indian Group of Seven, was a group of First Nations in Canada, First Nations artists from Canada, with one from the United States. Founded in November 1973, they ...
, a group considered a pioneer in bringing First Nations art to the forefront of Canada's art world.
She received a number of awards for her work, including the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
, the
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
and five honorary doctorates.
Early life and family
Odjig was born in 1919
at
Wiikwemkoong, the principal village on the
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...
Unceded Indian Reserve,
to parents Dominic and Joyce (née Peachey) Odjig. She was the eldest of four children; her siblings are Stanley, Winnifred and Donavan. She was descended on her father's side from the great
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
Chief Black Partridge.
Her mother, an Englishwoman, met and married Dominic in England where he was serving during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
When Odjig was 13 years old, she suffered
rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...
and had to leave school.
Recuperating at home, she spent time with her paternal grandfather, Jonas Odjig (a stonecarver), and her parents - all of whom encouraged her to explore art.
Odjig later said that her grandfather "played a great role in my life – he nurtured my creative spirit – he was the first one I ever drew with ... he was my first mentor."
Odjig was also influenced by her mother, who
embroidered
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...
, and her father, who liked to draw war scenes and his officers from his wartime experiences. Odjig once stated that "Art was always a part of our lives".
When she was 18, Odjig's mother and grandfather died.
Odjig moved to
Parry Sound
Parry Sound is a sound or bay of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sound from Georgian B ...
, Ontario, and then at the outbreak of World War II, she moved to
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
for job opportunities.
She worked in factories and in her spare time explored art galleries such as the
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...
and the
Art Gallery of Ontario
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Beve ...
.
She was particularly influenced by her first experiences of
cubist art by artists such as
Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
.
Career
In 1945, after World War II, Odjig moved to
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. In the 1960s she relocated to
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
. Her breakthrough into the art world happened in the early 1960s when she received critical acclaim for her pen and ink drawings of
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
people from northern Manitoba and their traditional community. She was concerned over the potential loss of traditional ways of living, and hoped that by preserving images of the people and their daily life in art, they could survive. In 1963 she was formally recognized as an artist when she was admitted to the British Columbia Federation of Artists.
In 1971, she opened Odjig Indian Prints of Canada, a craft shop and small press, in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
.
In 1973, Odjig founded the Professional Native Indian Artists Association, along with
Alex Janvier
Alex Simeon Janvier, LL.D (; born February 28, 1935) is a First Nation artist in Canada. As a member of the commonly referred to " Indian Group of Seven", Janvier is a pioneer of contemporary Canadian Aboriginal art in Canada.
Career
Alex Janv ...
and
Norval Morrisseau
Norval Morrisseau (March 14, 1932 – December 4, 2007), also known as Copper Thunderbird, was an Indigenous Canadian artist from the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation. Known as the "Picasso of the North", Morrisseau created works depi ...
.
The group organised shows of their work and, although the group was short-lived, the members are considered critical pioneers in the development of indigenous art in Canada.
About the group, Odjig once said, "We acknowledged and supported each other as artists when the world of fine art refused us entry…Together we broke down barriers that would have been so much more difficult faced alone."
It had an immediate result of bringing First Nations art to the wider Canadian art scene – in 1972, the
Winnipeg Art Gallery
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) is an art museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Its permanent collection includes over 24,000 works from Canadian, Indigenous Canadian, and international artists. The museum also holds the world's largest collect ...
offered three of the artists exhibiting there a show.
By 1974, she and her husband had expanded their shop and renamed it New Warehouse Gallery.
It was the first Canadian gallery exclusively representing First Nations art
and Canada's first Native-owned and operated art gallery.
Also in 1973, Odjig received a
Brucebo
Brucebo is an artists' estate in Själsö, Väskinde on Gotland, Sweden, created by William Blair Bruce and his wife Carolina Benedicks-Bruce. The estate later became a nature reserve and an art museum managed by the Brucebo Foundation. The Bruce ...
Foundation Scholarship and spent six months on the island of
Gotland
Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...
, Sweden, as a resident artist.
Style and themes
Odjig's early works were very realistic in their style, however she later began to experiment with other styles such as
expressionism
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
and
cubism
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
.
She developed a style of her own which fused together elements of aboriginal
pictograph
A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and gr ...
s and First Nations arts with European techniques and styles of the 20th century. According to the
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the l ...
, "Odjig's work is defined by curving contours, strong outlining, overlapping shapes and an unsurpassed sense of color".
Heavily influenced by the work of her grandfather, Odjig attributed this emphasis on curvature in her art to the "rounded edges of her grandfather's carved tombstones."
In the 1960s Odjig began to paint scenes from Manitoulin legends, and in the 1970s she focused further on her Indian heritage and culture, and the impact of colonialism on her people. Among other subjects, she explored mythology, history, and landscapes.
She also explored erotic themes in some of her paintings; for example, in 1974, Odjig illustrated ''Tales from the Smokehouse'', a collection of traditional First Nations erotica written by Herbert T. Schwarz.
Other topics she dealt with included human suffering, relationships, culture and the importance of family and kinship.
Odjig emphasized the contemporary experience of Native Americans in Canada. Her late works focused formally on intense color and lyricism, and while her works retained their socio-political power, her art became more "reflective and personal."
Honours, commissions, and collections
Her work is included in such public collections as
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...
's Art Bank, the
Canadian Museum of History
The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of C ...
in Gatineau, Quebec, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, the
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection (MCAC) is an art museum in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located on a property in Kleinburg, an unincorporated village in Vaughan. The property includes the museum's main building, a sculpture garde ...
, the
Sequoyah Research Center
The Sequoyah National Research Center (SNRC), located in Little Rock, Arkansas, is home of the American Native Press Archives (ANPA). ANPA is one of the largest repositories of Native American publications in the world. The Center is also home to ...
and the
Government of Israel
The Cabinet of Israel (officially: he, ממשלת ישראל ''Memshelet Yisrael'') exercises executive authority in the State of Israel. It consists of ministers who are chosen and led by the prime minister. The composition of the government ...
. She was commissioned to create art by Expo '70 in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, Japan, the
Manitoba Museum
The Manitoba Museum, previously the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, is a human and natural history museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as the province's largest, not-for-profit centre for heritage and science education.
Located close to City ...
, and for
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural ...
, the Israeli airline.
[
Odjig has been the subject of books and at least three documentaries. She was the recipient of a wide range of honors, including an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from ]Laurentian University
Laurentian University (french: Université Laurentienne), officially the Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized Bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Lau ...
in 1982, and an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in 1985, the Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
in 1986, a Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in 1992, an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Nipissing University
, mottoeng = Spirit of Integrity
, established =
, former_names = Northeastern University (1960-1967), Nipissing College (1967-1992)
, type = Public University
, academic_affiliation = COU, CVU, Universities Canada
, endowment ...
in 1997, and a National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in 1998. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880.
History 1880 to 1890
The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...
in 1989.[ In 2007, Odjig received the ]Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts
The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts are annual awards for achievements in visual and media arts in Canada. Up to eight awards are presented annually with the prize amount is $25,000
Created in 2000 by then Governor General Adrie ...
. Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...
featured three of her paintings on Canadian postage stamps in February 2011. In 2007, she was made a Member of the Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier B ...
. Odjig also received the Eagle Feather by Chief Wakageshigon for her artistic achievement.
Exhibits
Odjig traveled extensively and exhibited in Canada, the United States, Belgium, Yugoslavia and Japan.[ She had over 30 solo exhibitions and was part of over 50 group exhibits during her career.][
''The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition'' featured work from over 40 years of Odjig's career. The exhibit was organized by the Art Gallery of Sudbury and the ]National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the l ...
. It was shown in Sudbury, the Kamloops Art Gallery, and, in October 2009 through 2010, was shown at the National Gallery of Canada. The only United States venue for the show was the Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a public tribal land-grant college in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The college focuses on Native American art. It operates the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), which is housed in the historic S ...
Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
. Accompanying the retrospective was a catalog written by Ojibway curator Bonnie Devine
Bonnie Devine is a Serpent River Ojibwa installation artist, performance artist, sculptor, curator, and writer from Serpent River First Nation, who lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.[Robert Houle
Robert Houle (born 1947) is a Saulteaux First Nations Canadian artist, curator, critic,]["Robert ...]
and Duke Redbird
Dr.Duke Redbird (born 1939) is an Indigenous Canadian poet, journalist, activist, businessman, actor and administrator, best known as a key figure in the development of First Nations literature in Canada.
An Ojibwe from the Saugeen First Nation i ...
.
Despite suffering from arthritis in her right hand, she continued to sketch during her later years.
Personal life
Odjig met Paul Somerville while she was working in Toronto, and they married and moved to British Columbia together. They had two sons: David Eagle Spirit Somerville, Paul's son from a previous engagement, and Stanly Somerville. Paul Somerville died in a car accident, and both boys remained in her and their father's family care. In 1962 Odjig married Chester Beavon, a community development worker for the Department of Native Affairs, and the family moved to Manitoba.
Odjig died on 1 October 2016 in Kelowna
Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki ...
, British Columbia, Canada.
Bibliography
* Odjig, Daphne, Rosamond M. Vanderburgh, and Beth Southcott. ''A Paintbrush in My Hand.'' Toronto: Natural Heritage Books.
* Odjig, Daphne, Bob Boyer, Carol Podedworny, and Phillip Gevik (2001). ''Odjig: The Art of Daphne Odjig, 1960–2000.'' Toronto: Key Porter Books. .
* Odjig, Daphne, Jann L. M. (FRW) Bailey, and Morgan Wood (2005). ''Daphne Odjig: Four Decades of Prints.'' Montreal: ABC Art Books. .
References
Further reading
* McLuhan, Beth. ''Daphne Odjig, a retrospective, 1946–1985.'' Thunder Bay, Ontario: Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre, 1985.
* Devine, Bonnie. ''The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition.'' Ottawa, Ontario: National Gallery of Canada in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Sudbury, 2007.
External links
Daphne Odjig
at The Art History Archive: Canadian Council for the Arts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odjig, Daphne
1919 births
2016 deaths
Artists from Ontario
Canadian women painters
First Nations painters
Members of the Order of British Columbia
Members of the Order of Canada
Odawa people
People from Manitoulin Island
Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
20th-century Canadian women artists
Woodlands style
21st-century Canadian women artists
20th-century Canadian painters
21st-century Canadian painters
Potawatomi people
Canadian people of English descent
Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners
Indspire Awards
First Nations women