Isaac Bignell

Isaac Bignell was a Cree painter born in 1958 at The Pas Reserve (Opaskwayak Cree Nation), approximately 400 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He grew up on the reserve until his early teens, then lived in Winnipeg, Minneapolis, and Vancouver at various points in his life. He worked in acrylic, watercolour, airbrush, silkscreen, lithograph, and mixed media.

Bignell was primarily self-taught, with only a few art classes. He developed a distinctive style of sponge painting, creating wildlife images characterized by flowing lines. His work drew on the traditional ways of Cree people and his upbringing on the land. As he described it: "I was brought up to live off the land from an early age. Hunting and trapping, living in harmony with the earth has taught me to respect the animals and the spirit and power of nature." He was also a hoop dancer and sang and drummed at powwows to maintain his cultural heritage.

Bignell mentored other artists, including Russel Noganosh, who apprenticed under him in 1979. He died at age 37 on December 17, 1996, in Traverse City, Michigan. Many of his images have been reproduced as prints and cards.