| ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: |
Erik Lee is a Plains Cree Artist from the Ermineskin Tribe in Maskwachis (Bear Hills) Alberta. He completed the Native Communications program at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton and has worked in many different media including photography and digital media. Erik works in various mediums including: stone, bone, antler, wood, acrylic and focuses on subject that are reflective of his Plains Cree ancestry. He also is dedicated to the research and preservation of traditional Plains Cree techniques and art forms. This dedication can be seen in the various "cultural lifestyle objects" that he produces using traditional materials and employing "the old ways". He believes everything Native people make, whether it is clothing, tools, homes or sacred objects are works of art. These works are always embellished with motifs, symbols and things of beauty that were more than just art, they were an outward expression of inner strength and cultural values. Erik strives to maintain this integrity in his work as he says it is part of him as it was his ancestors since time immemorial. |