Norval Morrisseau

Raised by maternal grandparents on the Sand Point Reserve near Lake Nipigon, Morrisseau was initiated into Midewiwin shamanic teachings. Defying traditional taboos against painting sacred oral legends, he broke into national prominence in 1962 with a sold-out exhibition at Toronto's Pollock Gallery.

Morrisseau's vibrant, X-ray style paintings portrayed spiritual connections between humans, animals, and cosmic forces, creating an authentic contemporary Indigenous art movement that influenced generations. In 2006, he became the first Indigenous artist honored with a solo retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada.