Artist: Simone McLeod – Cree-Ojibway, James Smith Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

Cultural Background: Cree-Ojibway, James Smith Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

Simone McLeod is a Cree-Ojibway who is originally from Winnipeg, Canada. She is a member of the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and has been artistically motivated from the age of thirteen. However, she did not pursue painting until much later in her life. Simone began by experimenting with various mediums such as pencil, ink, charcoal, and pastels. At that time, her subjects mainly consisted of human portraits and wildlife.

When asked about her painting process, Simone said, “Painting was something that I often thought of when I was a small child, but I felt that it was not the right time. I believed that I had to wait until I could find something that had a lot of meaning to me. Each painting contains a piece of my soul. I have a strong faith in humankind and my paintings are silent prayers of hope for the future.”

Simone’s work has been displayed in international collections throughout the world including the Netherlands, Wales, Austria, France, Greece, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Japan, and Canada. Simone resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she continues to paint full-time.

Artwork by Indigenous Artist Simone McLeod