First Name: Clifford

Last Name: Maracle

Full Name: Clifford Lloyd Maracle

Date of birth: 1944

Place of birth: Mohawk Nation, Tyendinaga Reserve, Ontario, Canada

Date of death: 1996

Sex: Male

Art Media: Acrylic, oil, stone carving.

Bio:

Clifford Lloyd Maracle was a Canadian Indigenous painter and sculptor. He was born at the Mohawk Nation Tyendinaga Reserve near Deseronto, Ontario in 1944. Maracle came from a large family of ten children; his father left the family when the children were young. Maracle’s mother, under pressure from social workers, decided to leave the reserve with her children. This event played a part in forming Maracle’s opinions regarding the prejudices and hardships that his people faced.

Maracle attended East Elgin Secondary School in Aylmer, Ontario. He then studied fine art at George Brown College and obtained an Honours Graduate degree from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. He also completed a Native Journalism course at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario. 

Through his art, Maracle confronted the complex realities and struggles of Indigenous people. Unlike many of his peers, he did not rely on traditional motifs but rather created kinetic, often political works depicting dancers, historic events, animals, athletes and sports scenes. Apart from political and social issues, Maracle filled his works with a great sense of humour, playfulness, emotion and human connection. Maracle cites Fritz Scholder, Francis Bacon, Karel Appel and Edvard Munch as influences.

Maracle's works can be found in many private and permanent collections including the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada; Nickle Arts Museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; McMichael Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada; Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions:

• 1985: Clifford Maracle: Paintings and Sculpture - Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, ON
• 1994: Hard Edge Psychological Revelation - Maslak McLeod Canadian Art, Santa Fe, NM

Group Exhibitions: 

• 1983: Indian Art '83 - Woodland Cultural Educational Centre, Brantford, ON
• 2007: Oh So Iroquois - Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON
• 2010: Oh So Iroquois - Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon, Manitoba
• 2012: Permanent Collection Spotlight – Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Thunder Bay, ON
• 2013: First People Land and Sky - Ingram Gallery, Toronto, ON
• 2013: First Nations Art 2013, Woodland Cultural Educational Centre, Brantford, ON

Collections

• Confederation Centre Art Gallery
• Nickle Arts Museum
• McMichael Art Collection
• Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Articles

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Maracle
• https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Clifford_Maracle