Norval MorrisSeau

The exact year of Norval Morrisseau's birth is not known, but is thought to have been 1931 or 1932, in either Fort William, Ontario, or the Sand Point Reserve near Beardmore, Ontario. Morrisseau is the eldest of five boys. As was the custom with the eldest son, he was raised by his maternal grandparents. His grandfather was a shaman, and this had an impact on both Morrisseau’s art, and on his life. He started drawing from a young age, but received little support for his art outside of his family.

Although he has no formal art training, Morrisseau’s paintings display great confidence. He turns to the myths and stories of his culture for inspiration. Before long, Morrisseau’s work gained recognition. With a small group of artists, he founded the Woodland School of Art to revitalize the iconography of the Anishnabe peoples. In 1962 Morriseau had his first gallery exhibition at Pollack’s Art Gallery in Toronto.

Morrisseau completed many commissions during his career, including work for the Expo ‘67 Canadian Pavilion. He has also received many awards. In 1978, Morrisseau was granted the Order of Canada. In 1980, he received honourary degrees from McGill and McMaster Universities, and in 1995, he was honoured by the Assembly of First Nations.