▲ The portrait of the artist ⓒ Alex Janvier

Alex Janvier, an influential Alberta-based painter and a crucial figure in contemporary Indigenous art in Canada, passed away on July 10 at the age of 89. The news of his passing was confirmed by his family via an Instagram post. On the same day, a moment of silence was observed in his honor at the Assembly of First Nations' annual general meeting.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to Janvier on X, stating, “His art reflected so much of Canada’s history, including some of the hardest parts of our story.” 

▲ The artworks of the artist ⓒ Alex Janvier

Janvier’s art is renowned for its vibrant abstractions, with lush forms that evoke the natural world and brisk lines and fierce swaths of red that highlight the historical mistreatment of First Nations. “Painting says it all for me,” Janvier remarked in 2012. “It is the Redman talk in color, in North America’s language. Our Creator’s voice in color.” 

Born in 1935 on Cold Lake Indian Reserve, now known as Cold Lake First Nations, Janvier was one of ten children. His father, Harry, was the community’s last hereditary chief before the federal law introduced a system of elected officials. At the age of eight, Janvier was sent to the Blue Quills Residential School near St. Paul, Alberta, an experience that deeply impacted him. “That kind of story does a lot of unusual things to your life,” Janvier once said. “It tears apart your language, culture, and beliefs. They probably removed a lot of it.” 

▲ The portrait of the artist ⓒ Alex Janvier

Defying the low expectations for Indigenous people in Canada during his time, Janvier took art classes at the University of Alberta in his early teens. There, he encountered the works of European modernists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Joan Miró. After high school, he enrolled at Alberta’s Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary, now the Alberta University of the Arts, studying under notable Canadian artists like Illingworth Kerr and Marion Nicoll. Upon graduation, he pursued art full-time, working as a painter, illustrator, and teacher.

In 1973, Janvier co-founded the Indian Group of Seven (formally titled the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc.) with fellow First Nations artists Norval Morrisseau, Jackson Beardy, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray, Joe Sanchez, and Eddy Cobiness. The group, active until 1975, had a profound impact on perceptions of Indigenous art, showcasing it as a dynamic and evolving field. Their art combined elements of European modernism with Indigenous symbols and motifs, and Morrisseau coined the term “Woodland Art” to describe this synthesis.

The Indian Group of Seven also developed funding opportunities and a network of support for young Indigenous artists, inspiring future generations. Janvier’s works are displayed in public spaces across Alberta and held in prominent Canadian collections. His mosaic, Iron Foot Place, adorns the floor of Edmonton’s Rogers Place, and his mural, Morning Star-Gambeh Then, spans 418 square meters in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.
 

▲ Merry Christmas 2019 - Giggle, 12" Circle, Watercolor on paper, 2020 ⓒ Alex Janvier

“His monumental work is a centerpiece of our museum,” said Caroline Dromaguet, the museum’s president and CEO. “Looking up to discover this work is an unforgettable experience, and I am comforted to know that Janvier’s legacy will live on.”

Janvier’s numerous honors include the Order of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, and membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

In 2003, Janvier and his family opened the Janvier Gallery in Cold Lake, Alberta, where he maintained a studio for the rest of his life. Reflecting on his career, Janvier said in 2016, “I am a free man because I can create. I thank the Great Spirit for my family and for being able to express myself through my paintings.”

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com