Johnny Lee

Johnny Lee’s work steps out from the shadows of another time and place. Impeccably rendered drawings of growling grizzlies, willowy horses, and proud native warriors peer into our souls. Beautifully crafted in graphite on board and often using historical photographs of First Nations individuals for inspiration, Lee’s art is as dramatic as it is aesthetically accomplished. He shifts from brooding figural studies to airy summer landscapes, beckoning us toward a simpler existence. His work often takes the form of classic portraits, yet other pieces become dynamic collage-like compositions replete with headdresses, tribal abstractions, birds of prey, buffalo skulls, and proud men on horseback under endless skies. Ancestors play an important role in his creative and spiritual life, as a personal anchor of identity and humility. "You can never take credit for a gift, but you can honor it,” he states.

Lee is represented by galleries spread across Canada and in New York. He lives in Chemainus, British Columbia, where he owns a distinctive studio and is very active in the local arts community.