Dee Barsy - Naagozi (S/he is visible)

On Display at Winnipeg Tuxedo, May 21st – June 11th 2021

As a fundamental concept in Indigenous philosophy, interconnection is a theme that Barsy regularly explores in her art practice. Naagozi (S/he is visible) is a series of paintings that feature abstract shapes and depictions of animals painted with vibrant colours on Barsy’s signature teal blue backgrounds. Barsy approaches her subjects with genuine curiosity and care. In her latest series, she chooses animals native to Turtle Island (North America), with a specific focus on those who live on the prairie. She brings attention to the natural environment and admiration for each animal’s unique personality through her painterly focus. Their abstracted and flatly rendered bodies float playfully in relation to bold lines and graphic forms. Together, the paintings maintain a harmonious complexity in their colourful and rhythmic representations. Each painting is as much an individual entity as it is a part of the whole series– suggesting how our individual yet interconnected roles might impact our larger community on this territory.