A Life of Artistic and Curatorial Practice
Robert Houle is a Saulteaux First Nations Canadian artist, curator, critic, and educator. Born in Saint Boniface, Canada, he was raised Roman Catholic and Saulteaux. His academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Manitoba and a Bachelor of Education in Art Education from McGill University. He furthered his training at the Salzburg International Summer Academy, focusing on painting and drawing.
Throughout his career, Houle has held significant roles, including serving as the first Indigenous curator of contemporary Indigenous Art at the Canadian Museum of Civilisation. He also served as the first professor of Indigenous Studies at The Ontario College of Art, where he taught for fifteen years. His work has been exhibited in various institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, and the Stedelijk Museum in Holland.
Artistic Style and Notable Works
As a painter, Houle predominantly works within the tradition of Abstraction, though he has also embraced a pop sensibility by incorporating text and everyday images into his compositions. His practice often involves the appropriation of historical photographs and texts, which he repurposes and combines with Anishnaabe language and traditional materials, such as porcupine quills.
His artistic output includes several notable works, such as:
Questions & Answers
What are the birth city and country of Robert Houle?
Robert Houle was born in Saint Boniface, in Canada.
Can I visit a virtual museum of Robert Houle's works?
The 3D Museum of Robert Houle is a page that displays the artist's artworks in a virtual three-dimensional gallery.
Where are Robert Houle's artworks grouped by palette?
Robert Houle's works can be browsed by color palette on the artist's By Palettes page.
How popular are Robert Houle's artworks?
Statistics about Robert Houle's works are available on the artist's Stats page.
