La Centrale galerie Powerhouse is proud to present the window exhibition Anishinaabe Kwe à Montréal by the artist Janice Toulouse, from July 1st to August 21st, 2022. A vernissage in the presence of the artist will be held at La Centrale on Friday, July 1st from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

The exhibition Anishinaabe Kwe à Montréal speaks of the artist’s experience as an Indigenous woman painter. For her first public exhibition in Montreal, Janice Toulouse presents two paintings and a film, together creating an installation thought of as a tribute to Mother Earth. Her paintings, mixing abstract and figurative, start from the spiritual and draw from her experience and genocide.

“This is an exhibition of my experience as an Indigenous woman painter in the past in Tiohtiá:ke/ Montréal and recent paintings related to this theme. A survivor of genocide in Canada, my art speaks of ways to maintain balance in life and to respect Mother Earth.
It is time for me to return to Montréal where I was a graduate student in the 1980’s. I never had the opportunity to exhibit my art to the public in that era.
For this exhibition I have selected two abstract and figurative statements on my art. Large paintings of the spiritual to the reality of being homeless in our own lands, and a super 8 film that I made in 1980 on Mont-Royal.
The film is my statement as Anishinaabe Kwe on the Church and Residential School family history. The title, Waiting in the Forest, is the title of a Curtis photograph of a Indigenous man in the forest. I am the Ojibwe woman in this film. I lay beads on the earth in the snow, then I look up at the giant cross of Mont-Royal that represents christianity to silently say, ‘Residential Schools by your Churches committed genocide to destroy the First People.’
I was shown powerful teachings in traditional ceremonies in Anishinaabe Aki Northern Ontario homeland that are a part of my creative process. The paintings were painted outdoors in the winter and spring in the southwest of France, an area where I raised my daughter and spent over half my lifetime returning to.”
Janice Toulouse
Shingwauk Kwe

Translation of the text in Anishinaabemowin language :

La Centrale galarie Powerhouse aapiji-maamiikwendam ji-zhinoomaaget waasetchigan zhinoomaagewin Anishinaabe Kwe Moonyaang nji-sa etisiged Janice Toulouse, pii-aawong maadigizad Miin-giizis piinash Mnominike-giizis niishtana-shi-bezhig nsaganogozid, 2022. Njiken ji-zhinoomaading ntam gonad mzinchiganag megwaa yaad maaba mesnibiiget da-zhisemgwad Naanan-giizhigak, maadigisad Miin-giizis pii-piichaag Naana-dibagbaneg pii-nash niizhwaaswi-dibaganeg shki-naakshig.

Maanda dash zhinoomaagewin Anishinaabe Kwe Moonyaang dibaachigaade maaba mesnibiiget gaa-zhi-kendang bimaadiziwin ezhi-Anishinaabe-kwe-wid e-tisiged. Maanda dash nji ntam zhinoomaagewin digok odi Moonyaang, Janice Toulouse zhinoomaagenan niizh tisiganan miiniwaa mzinaatesijigan, maamowi zhichigaadek naabsichigan nji-sa Shkakimi-Kwe. Nindan dash doo-tisganan, nooj ezhinaagozijig miiniwaa ezhi-mzinzhinowaad, nji-maajtaawag ezhi-minidoowing miiniwaa wiin nji-gaa-bi-zhiwebizid miiniwaa maanda gweji-nchigaadeg bimaadiziwin.

“Maanda zhinoomaagewin aawon niin gaa-bi-zhiwebiziiyaanh ezhi-kwe-wi-yaanh waayid e-tisiged mewzha odi-moonyaang miiniwaa nomya tisigewinag nji-sa maanda eshnikaadeg. Bezhig gaa-zhaabwiid nji-sa maand gweji-nchigaadeg bimaadiziwin mompii Kaanidaa, ndoo-tisigewin ginoondaan eshchigeyaanh ji-teg dibaabiishkoojigewin nbimaadiziwining miiniwaa ji-mnaadendimag Shkakimi-Kwe.

Miidash mbe-shiseg ji-pskaabiiyaanh moonyaang gaa-nji-giishtoowaah kinoomaadiwin ekinoomaagizid wi-pii 1980 gii-aawong. Gaa-wii wiikaa ngii-zhise-sii ji-zhinoomaageyaanh ndoo-tisigewin nji-sa bemaadizijig wi-pii.

Maanda dash zhinoomaagewin ngii-nendam ji-daapinagwaa niizh nooj ezhinaagozijig miiniwaa ezhi-mzinzhinowaad wiindimaagewag e-kidyaanh ndoo-tisiganing. Mendajig mzinchiganag nji-sa maanda minidoowin miiniwaa digok ji-tesnag waadaang mompii giinwi gdoo-akiimnaang, miiniwaa gchitowaa-nshwaaswi mzinaatesijigan gaa-zhiyag 1980 odi Mont-Royal.

Maada dash mzinaatesijigan aawan ndoo-dibaajimoowin yaawiyaang Anishinaabe-Kwe nji-sa maanda Anamegamig miiniwaa Anishinaabe binoojiiyag gaanji-gnowenmindowaa kinoomaagegamig ngodoodenaawziwin mewzha. Maanda wiindimaagewin ezhibiigadeg, Baabiichigeng Wemtigwaa-akiing, aawi wiindimaagewin ezhibiigaadeg maaba sa Chirtis mzinchiganmzinshing Anishinaabe-nini eyaad wemtigwaa-akiing. Niin dash ndaaw Ojibwe kwe mompii mesnaateshing. Minidoominesag ndoo-zhingishmaag mtakimig enji-goonkaag, miidash miiniwaa ishpiming naabiiyaanh gnowaabmag gchi-jiibiyaatig ebid zhiwe Mont-Royal e-wiindimaagemgok gchi-towaa anamewin ji-giimooji-kidoomgak, Anishinaabe binoojiiyag gaanji-gnowenmindowaa kinoomaagegamig ji-sa gdoo-anamegamigoomwaan gii-zhitoonaawaa maanda gweji-nchigaadeg bimaadiziwin ji-gweji ngoshkaawaad Ntam Anishinaabeg. Ngii-zhinoomaagoo e-mshkooziimgak kinoomaagewinan ji-sa naadiziwin nkweshkodaadiwin Anishinaabe Akiing Giiwedinong endaang ezhinoomaagegok nikeyaa eshchigeyaanh. Gonda tisiganag gii-tisgaasowag kojiing epiichi-biboong miiniwaa minookimig odi zhaawanong-epingishmag gchi-gaaming, nikeyaa gaa-nji-koginag ndaanis miiniwaa ooshme minik aabito mbimaadiziwin gii-pskaabiiyaanh.”
Janice Toulouse
Shingwauk Kwe

Janice Toulouse is a senior Ojibwe artist, a member of Garden River First Nation, born and raised in Serpent River and Toronto. She lives in southwest Georgian Bay and spends part of the year in Paris, France. She was the first in history Indigenous graduate and earned a Master of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal in 1985. She taught Painting and Indigenous Art History at Emily Carr University in Vancouver for twenty years until retiring in 2017. Her art practice is to share her life as a Anishinaabe Kwe painter and storyteller. Her artworks investigate the respect of nature, land rights and traditional spiritual beliefs. She pursues her artistic creation to paint abstract and figurative paintings and installations that honor her Anishinaabe ancestry. Her work is in national public collections across Canada. She has exhibited widely internationally, in Canada, U.S.A, and Europe. Toulouse is an awards recipient, including: 2019 Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Arts Award, 2017 Canada 150 Hnatyshyn Art Award, 2001 NMAI Indigenous New York Residency Award, and 2009 Canada Council of the Arts, International Travel Grant. More information : www.janicetoulouse.ca

Photo credits : Anang Star Origins, acrylic on canvas 64 x 81 inches, 2020. Janice Toulouse

* Depending on the sanitary measures in place

Please note that the gallery space is not open to the public during window exhibitions.