Alex Janvier
to
Canada House Gallery 201 Bear Street (PO Box 1570), Banff, Alberta T1L 1B5
Alex Janvier's unique style is an accumulation of aesthetic influences developed both from Indigenous artistic styles and from the European modernist canon. He developed his style during his formal arts education at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary where he graduated with honours in 1960.
In his long career, Alex Janvier has become a distinguished artist and has been recognised as one of the “Indian Group of Seven” for his contributions to developing the scope of Indigenous art in Canada.
Citing a broad range of inspiration from Wassily Kandinsky (Russian) and Paul Klee (Swiss) to his mother's art - beadwork and birch bark basketry, Janvier's work celebrates his heritage. He remains to this day an ambassador for Indigenous creatives, developing works of fine art that are represented, respected and widely collected in arts spaces across Canada.
Dubbed the 'first Canadian native modernist' by the Centre for Canadian Contemporary Art, Alex Janvier has had a banner year in 2018, he received the Alberta Award of Excellence and had a large retrospective show at the Glenbow from June 16 - September 9.
As the year draws to a close we are proud to share '7 Generation' with you. A large work in acrylic on canvas, which is stated as being completed on 7/7/7, which may be of significance to the 7 Sacred Teachings.
The Seven Sacred Teachings
To cherish knowledge is to know WISDOM;
To know LOVE is to know peace;
To honor all of the Creation is to have RESPECT;
BRAVERY is to face the foe with integrity;
HONESTY also means “righteousness”, be honest first with yourself – in word and action;
HUMILITY is to know yourself as a sacred part of the Creation,
TRUTH is to know all of these things.