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Exhibitions

Red is Beautiful

Celebrating 50 years of artmaking, here’s a sneak peek of the Robert Houle retrospective coming this winter.

Robert Houle, Red is Beautiful, 1970. Acrylic on canvas.

Robert Houle. Red is Beautiful, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, 45.5 x 61 cm. Musée canadien de l’histoire / Canadian Museum of History, V-F-174. © Robert Houle

Since the 1970s, contemporary Anishinaabe artist Robert Houle has been actively changing the way we see contemporary Indigenous art. A pivotal figure, his presence is felt every day at the AGO – his storied installation Seven Grandfathers (2014) hangs in Walker Court, and visitors to the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art will immediately recognize his work Premises for Self-Rule: Constitution Act (1982) and the triptych The Pines (2002–2004). So how exciting to present at the AGO a major career retrospective of his work – Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful, opening December 3.

Bringing to the Sam & Ayala Zacks Pavilion more than 100 artworks made between 1970 and 2021, including large-scale installations, monumental paintings and drawings, the exhibition reflects on topics including nuclear fallout, residential schools, Indigenous sovereignty and the birth of Canada.

We will share more exciting details about this exhibition in the weeks to come. In the meantime, feast your eyes on some of these fantastic artworks coming soon to the AGO.

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful is organized by the AGO and curated by Wanda Nanibush.

ARTWORKS FROM THE EXHIBITION

Robert Houle, Kanata, 1992. Acrylic and conte crayon on canvas.

Robert Houle, Kanata, 1992. Acrylic and conte crayon on canvas, 228.7 x 732 cm. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 1994. © Robert Houle.

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful artwork
Robert Houle, Aboriginal Title

Robert Houle, Aboriginal Title, 1989-90. Oil on canvas, 228 x 167.6 cm. Art Gallery of Hamilton. Acquired with the assistance of the Alfred Wavell Peene and Susan Nottle Peene Memorial, 1992. © Robert Houle, photo Robert McNair.

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful artwork
Robert Houle, Sandy Bay, 1998-99. Oil on canvas, black and white photograph and colour photograph on canvas, Masonite, 300 x 548.4 cm.

Robert Houle, Sandy Bay, 1998-99. Oil on canvas, black and white photograph and colour photograph on canvas, Masonite, 300 x 548.4 cm. Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Acquired with funds from the President's Appeal 2000 and with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance program/Oeuvre achetée avec l'aide du programme d'aide aux acquisitions du Conseil des Arts du Canada. 2000-87 a-e. © Robert Houle. Photo: Ernest Mayer, courtesy of the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful artwork
Robert Houle. The Pines

Robert Houle, The Pines, 2002–2004. Oil on canvas, panel (centre): 91.4 x 121.9 cm. Panel (side, each of two): 91.4 x 91.4 cm. Gift of Susan Whitney. © Robert Houle. 2017/243

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful artwork
painting by Robert Houle titled In Memoriam, Oil, feathers, leather, ribbon on plywood

Robert Houle. In Memoriam, 1987. Oil, feathers, leather, ribbon on plywood, Overall (framed): 137.2 x 151.9 x 9 cm. Gift of Vanessa, Britney and Nelson Niedzielski, 2000. © Robert Houle 2000/1196

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful artwork
Robert Houle, Red is Beautiful, 1970. Acrylic on canvas.

Robert Houle. Red is Beautiful, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, 45.5 x 61 cm. Musée canadien de l’histoire / Canadian Museum of History, V-F-174. © Robert Houle

Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful artwork
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