| Born of Dene Suline and Saulteaux descent in 1935, Alex
Janvier was raised in the nurturing care of his family until the age of
eight. At this age, the young Janvier was uprooted from his home and sent
to the Blue Quills Indian Residential School near St. Paul, Alberta. Although
Janvier speaks of having a creative instinct from as far back as he can
remember, it was at the residential school that he was given the tools
to create his first paintings. Unlike many aboriginal artists of his time,
Janvier received formal art training from the Alberta College of Art in
Calgary and graduated with honours in 1960. Immediately after graduation,
Janvier took up an opportunity to instruct art at the University of Alberta.
While Alex recognizes the artists Wassily Kandinsky (Russian) and Paul
Klee (Swiss) as influences, his style is unique. Many of his masterpieces
involve an eloquent blend of both abstract and representational images
with bright, often symbolic colours. As a First Nations person emerging
from a history of oppression and many struggles for cultural empowerment,
Janvier paints both the challenges and celebrations that he has encountered
in his lifetime. Alex proudly credits the beadwork and birch bark basketry
of his mother and other relatives as influencing his art.
As a member of the commonly referred to “Indian Group of Seven”,
Janvier is one of the significant pioneering aboriginal artists in Canada,
and as such has influenced many generations of aboriginal artists. By
virtue of his art, Janvier was selected to represent Canada in a Canadian/Chinese
Cultural Exchange in 1985. Although he has completed several murals nationally,
Janvier speaks of the 450 meter squared masterpiece entitled “Morning
Star” at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, as a major highlight
in his career. In January 2004, one of Janvier’s works was displayed
in Paris, France at the Canadian Forum on Cultural Enterprise. In recognition
of his success, Alex Janvier recently received three prestigious Lifetime
Achievement Awards from the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation,
The Tribal Chiefs Institute, and Cold Lake First Nations. Janvier’s
passion and natural talents for creative expression remains strong to
this day.
On September 6, 2003 the Janvier family opened a gallery in the City
of Cold Lake.
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