The Ancestors Are Talking – Paintings by the Indigenous Seven,

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Norval Morrisseau, “Woman and Child in the Rocky Mountains,” 1985

acrylic on canvas, 48” by 36” (courtesy of the Gallery)

The Whyte is pleased to present the summer 2025 exhibition The Ancestors are Talking – Paintings by the Indigenous Seven, curated by Joseph Sánchez. Encompassing works from the Indigenous Seven, works on display include paintings of the land and family inspired by the mountains of Jasper; views of the Boreal Forest like no other, and images of strength and resistance, which enlighten us to the natural world and ceremony. Imagination and abstraction are shared ideas in the journey of seven artists who, with their inspiration and wisdom, changed the canon of Indigenous art in Canada and continue to inspire future generations of Indigenous artists.

Art, color, culture, and spirituality filled the early conversations of the Indigenous Group of Seven followed with decades of painting and activism. They created art to awaken a troubled world, with colors from the quantum reality.

The Indigenous Seven include: Daphne Odjig (1919-2016), a mentor for many and master of color and story. Alex Janvier (1935-2024) whose paintings depict delicate lines and with an understanding of color and form that are otherworldly. Norval Morisseau’s (1932-2007) paintings are full of the natural world, shaman wisdom and color from the House of Invention. The spiritual interrogation of legends by Carl Ray (1943-1978), whose time with us was short, but who inspired us to look with a new understanding. The unique abstraction of Jackson Beardy (1944-1984), the sensitive portrayal of nature by Eddy Cobiness (1933-1996), and the surreal dreaming of Joseph Sánchez (b. 1948).

In a braid of sweetgrass, three big strands create a braid, carrying with it the many individual blades of grass. The three retrospective exhibitions at the National Gallery by Norval, Daphne and Alex opened the door to Indigenous arts in Canada. The artistic legacy of this iconic art collective from Canada is presented through the eyes of Joseph M. Sánchez, lead curator and last living member, with The Whyte’s curators, Dawn Saunders Dahl and Christina Cuthbertson.