LINUS WOODS, "New Contemporary Aboriginal Art," Sept 8 to 22, 2007, Ken Segal Gallery, Winnipeg

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LINUS WOODS, New Contemporary Aboriginal Art

Ken Segal Gallery, Winnipeg

Sept 8 to 22, 2007

By Stacey Abramson

Spirituality, home and heritage have always been central to the work of Dakota/Ojibway artist Linus Woods. His ability to convey the emotion and spirit of his own life have come from a lifetime of art-making — he has been creating works since he was a teenager on the Long Plain reserve in Manitoba. His works have appeared everywhere from Urban Shaman Gallery in Winnipeg to the collection of the Canada Art Bank. In his latest exhibition at Winnipeg’s Ken Segal Gallery, Woods’s work still holds the deep hues and super-saturated settings found in his earlier pieces. These paintings delve deeper into manifestations and characters created by Woods, with figures that combine traditional Aboriginal storytelling elements that pulse with the freshness and contemporary take that the artist has on each work. Simple shapes, figures and planes transform each canvas into a glimpse of a life that cannot always be seen. The works are heavy, unadorned and poetically approached through both the message and palette. Woods’s metaphysical world and past are transformed through his choice of technique and colour, making for a compelling exhibition.

Represented by: Ken Segal Gallery, Winnipeg; Wah-Sa Gallery, Winnipeg; Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton.