Denis Charette, an Algonquin Métis living in the Outaouais region, sees sculpture as a spiritual mission – the artist’s receptiveness towards his medium leads to revelation. A recent Canada Arts Council grant recipient, he continues to delve deeper into his study of the culture and spirituality of the Algonquian peoples.
Denis Charette sees himself as a descendant of Lahontan and Adario. He navigates on La rivière métisse and imagines a bridge spanning it uniting the White Man and the Red Man. The river carries the great dream of union in its current. Although the two masks turn their backs to one another, the work remains a call for an authentic reconciliation. These two masks make up the visage of the biracial man, carrying his memory of blood and light.
Rivière Métisse (detail)
Denis Charette