Types of Art  
Manitoba Aboriginal Artist Archive
 
 

There are several different types of Aboriginal Art forms within the province of Manitoba. Each type of Aboriginal Art is unique. From the traditional painter or carver to the modern day designers; Manitoba's Aboriginal artists are excelling in many types of art forms.

Over the years there has been an increase in demand for authentically created pieces. People are captivated by the grace of their beauty, style, and natural themes. Perhaps it is because we are all as children in the womb, we share the same connection to the Earth. With the emergence of new interests - eyes have turned to the contemporaries, with their vivid images and graphic portrayals of the Aboriginal experience, the struggle to retain identity while still striving to succeed in a technological world.

 

PAINTING AND DRAWING

  Using pigments from various plants and minerals mixed with animal fats, early Aboriginal people decorated all manner of clothing, utensils, and tools. Tee-pees were elaborately painted with tribal and ancestral pictograms that displayed the entire history of their peoples. Geometric shapes were used to identify various events in history.
  Painting photo

CARVING

 

Bone, ivory, soapstone and wood were used in the ceremonial carvings of many different tribal nations. Often produced for ritualistic purposes, they provide valuable insight into the lives of the people at the time.

The art still flourishes in the hearts of many of their descendants who carry on these traditions with all the pride and determination of their ancestors.

  Carving

DESIGNERS

  Paving the way into the new territory of the mainstream, traditional patterns and design coalesce with new and innovative styles. These express the ingenuity and flexibility of the Aboriginal culture taken as a whole. By adding the aspect of versatility, the spirit of the ancestors remains alive.

 

  Designers

FABRIC AND BEADWORK

 

Various patterns and color schemes are applied to cloth to form patterns and images. These applications differed from tribe to tribe.

Working with animal bones and various beads people were able to develop new forms of Artwork. Early Aboriginal people traded various objects among different tribes. It is said that these nation to nation import and export trades for bone, beads and other objects were the first early examples of an international economy.

 

  Fabric

POTTERY

 

In select North American Aboriginal cultures, pottery is held in high regard. Often serving a functional purpose, the art created, is a personal interpretation.

The whole creative process of pottery is a sacred ritual. From collecting the clay from secret sources, to forming the vessel, and to painting it - the respect given to the clay is a foundation to the lifestyle of the potter.

As the clay vessel is created, the potter is taken back into time to remember that all life originates from mother earth. It is a time to reflect that we are brought forth from the earth, and when we pass to the spiritual world in death, our bodies return to the earth. It is this simple lesson that provides an understanding of our existence upon mother earth.

 

 
Pottery

STAR BLANKETS

For over a hundred years artistic people have been creating colourful star blankets. Long before quilting the star pattern adorned animal skins used for tee-pees, clothing and shields. Native women were excellent seamstresses and expressed their talents through different mediums.

 

  Star Blankets