Daphne Odjig 1919 – 2016
Daphne Odjig, one of Canada’s greatest artists, passed away on October 1st, 2016. During her lifetime, she received many awards including the Order of Canada, an election to the Royal Canadian Academy of Art, Honourary doctorates from numerous universities, and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, to name a few. Daphne was the co-founder of the Professional Indian Artists Inc, also known as the Aboriginal Group of Seven. In 1971, she opened a gallery in Winnipeg dedicated to the distribution and promotion of Aboriginal art. In 2009 the National Gallery of Canada hosted The Drawing and Paintings of Daphne Odjig, A Retrospective Exhibition”, making her the first Canadian Aboriginal female artist to have been granted a solo show.
There are so many more highlights that could be mentioned, but it is through her art that one can truly see who she was.
In her passing we have lost not only a cultural icon, but also a friend.
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