Sean Couchie
Sean Couchie | Artist Statement
As the world watches religious leaders apologize to Indigenous communities across Canada people either continue to reel or blank out as the atrocities of the Residential Schools continues to reveal itself.
Artist Sean Michael Couchie is no stranger to using his art to bring awareness, change and beauty to some of Canada’s most troubling topics as in his exhibit Waking the Giants, is Sean’s way of helping us see and understand the harm the Indian Act of 1867 caused then and continues to cause today.
Sean is a self-taught artist who has had an interest in art since early childhood and later formalized his craft with a degree in Advertising Art from Fanshawe College in 1991. Sean is a member of the Nipissing Band of Ojibways.
Straddling the worlds of pain and beauty can be difficult, but with every stroke of his paint brush, one cannot help but be immersed into Sean’s world and his breathtaking gift. Sean’s art has captivated Canadians from coast to coast.
Highlights
Peace Hills Trust Native Art Contest-Winner- 1992, 1996, 2002
See Me, first exhibit, London ON 2016
APTN Documentary, 2017
Justice Murray Sinclair, gifted 2017 & 2020
JUNOS Indigenous Honoring Ceremony, gifted 2019
Jody Wilson-Raybould, gifted 2021
Between Worlds, second exhibit with daughter Alexandra Couchie, 2022
Indigenous Mural Collaboration with Alexandra Couchie- 17; x 16’ wall mural for Regional HIV/AIDS Connection and Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy, London, Ontario 2024
Please inquire for a full CV.
"See Me" Past Present and Future: Celebrating 10-Year Anniversary
This event was produced by Mandi Fields and in collaboration with Ojibwe artist Sean Couchie, Atlohsa Family Healing Services, Tamara Bernard, Indigenous Services at Western University, and with Tania DeJonge as the creative designer, the exhibit featured over 2,000 Gold Birds symbolizing the thousands of MMIWG. Sean Couchie’s Broken Circle served as the initial inspiration for the Gold Birds. Along with these, panels listing the names of MMIWG solely from Ontario were created to awaken our community to the persisting issue locally, not just on the West Coast and Northern parts of Canada. The shared stories and contributed photos from community members, depicting their loved ones, made See Me more than an exhibit, but a collective narrative yearning for awareness and change.
This event was in partnership with Atlohsa Family Healing Services.
Celebrate National Indigenous History Month at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Waking the Giants: The Art of Sean Couchie
TIFF was pleased to partner with Bell to activate TIFF Bell Lightbox public spaces with Waking the Giants, a free public art installation by Indigenous artist Sean Couchie, a member of the Nipissing Band of Ojibways.
Gifts for My Children , 2022 ( Feature Work)
Content advisory: This installation and description contain references to residential schools.
“Waking the Giants is an installation that hopes to use art as a way to bring more awareness to the dark history of residential schools, as well as the ongoing investigations and contributions to truth and reconciliation. Giants are the ones we look to, who, through their continued commitment to the truth and reconciliation process, have been paving the way for future generations. This installation hopes to highlight both the beauty in the resilience of the Indigenous community, as well as the support and solidarity that has been demonstrated by many non-Indigenous people.” –Sean Couchie
Sean Couchie
Sean Couchie is a self-taught artist who developed an interest in art in early childhood, and later formalized his craft with a degree in Advertising Art from Fanshawe College in 1991. He is a Peace Hills Trust Native Art Contest winner (1992, 1996, 2002) whose work has been featured on the JUNOS Indigenous Honoring Ceremony and APTN, and is collected by Jody Wilson-Rayboud and Justice Murray Sinclair. Couchie’s first solo exhibition, See Me (2015), was installed at The Arts Project in London, Ontario. He has most recently exhibited with his daughter, Alexandar, in their two-person exhibition Between Worlds (2022) at Brescia University College. Couchie is a member of the Nipissing Band of Ojibways.
Fruition (Sold)
12” x 36” Acrylic on Panel
For years I had dreams and ideas that I hoped would come true. It was only after I had children that I realized that the dreams I had so long ago were coming to fruition through my children’s eyes.
Adaption (Sold)
36” x 24” Oil on Panel
The ability of the Indigenous people to adapt to their surroundings against all odds is something that we have in common with our brothers the wolves.
Current New Artwork Available
Long Before, Long After (Sold)
24” Diameter, Acrylic on Panel
We see the strength and power embodied in the bond between mother and child. The gold leaf in the background reminds us to embrace difficulty and struggle and trust that the strength and power in these bonds will carry us through.
Early Riser (New coming this spring)
24” x 24” Oil on Board
A young Indigenous woman with a concrete background. Representing the beautiful spirits that were here long before unnatural structures. These structures will decay, but the spirits will continue to show us the way.
Gifts for My Children (Sold)
24 ” Diameter, Acrylic and Gold leaf on Panel
In Indigenous culture, the colour gold is associated as the closest colour to spirit. The gold leaf feathers are her gifts to her children.
Nindoodem Through Time (Sold)
48” x 36” Acrylic on Canvas
This collaboration with my daughter Alexandra depicts a face which represents the spirits who continue to guide us despite the physical structures we feel may stand in the way. The kingfisher is a family clan representative of the way that much like spirits are always there for us so is our family.