Northwind Art

Canadian Indigenous Art can be traced back more than 80,000 years,  however, the best example of Canadian Indigenous Art dates back approximately 5000 years ago. Pre-contact art was done strictly for ceremonial purposes and was mostly produced by the British Colombia (BC) Coastal Indigenous peoples, the Iroquois/Huron nations in Ontario and the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic. Even though the creation of art continued on contact, the majority of works were taken or sold to private collectors or Museums. Through reconciliation efforts and court challenges many of these priceless ceremonial works have returned to their original Indigenous communities.

Commercially, the first Indigenous groups to sell their art were the BC coastal First Nations. Generations of  artists honed their skills from community artisans and started selling to private collectors and art galleries. James Houston introduced Inuit art in the early 1950’s after he gave Inuit Community members soapstone to carve. He later introduced Inuit print making and both forms of Inuit art have received world recognition and are featured in private collections and museums around the world.

Indigenous art was the first and, for many centuries, the only real original Canadian art. Canadian contemporary art was mostly introduced by The Europeans and their influence is still seen in present art works. As in pre- historic time, Canadian Indigenous Art still draws from nature, legends and spirituality and is created mostly from traditional materials. The same groups of Canadian Indigenous peoples that produced art for thousands of years are still the most prolific today. The art produced in these areas has gained world recognition. Bill Reid, an accomplished Haida artist has the honour of obtaining the highest price for a Canadian Indigenous piece of art. His sculpture, Spirit of Haida Gwaii, fetched 3 Million dollars while Joe Talitunilli’s, Migration, sculpture holds the record for the highest price paid for an Inuit art piece at $274,000. Most of the art pieces that are bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars today were purchased in their time for only hundreds of dollars.

In the last few decades the value of Canadian Indigenous Art has exploded. Recent exposure of its significance in global ecology and it’s place in world recognized art galleries and Museums has guaranteed a prosperous and bright future for Canadian Indigenous Artists and collectors.

Canadian First Nation and Inuit Art has captured the hearts of those around the world. These works of art often feature bright colors, emotionally intense motifs, and capture layers of a unique Canadian history and past. Northwind Art offers a wide range of Canadian artwork and will help you find the perfect piece to compliment your collection. We offer limited edition prints, original paintings, original drawings, mixed-media works on paper and stone sculptures. With over 30 years of experience, Northwind Art has collected an impressive array of Canadian Art – much of it obtained straight from the artists directly, while living in the Artic and travelling around Canada building an art collection.