Oil painting signed Allen Sapp

Oil painting on canvas signed Allen Sapp, 24" x 24", "People Stopped to Talk".

Additional Info on the artist:

Allen Sapp was born in 1928 on the Red Pheasant Reserve near North Battleford, Saskatchewan, a Cree descendant of Chief Poundmaker. He was a frail child, twice suffering life threatening illnesses in his early years. Confined to his home, prevented from attending school and learning to read and write, he amused and expressed himself by teaching himself to draw using simple materials at hand. His Grandmother, "Nokum", encouraged him and prophetically told him, "Keep on drawing - some day you will be very famous". As an adult he began to painted in a limited palette of brown white and black, selling his work to supplement his welfare payments. These early paintings were of subjects which he felt would appeal to the white man such as mountain landscapes. He received encouragement from Eileen Berryman who owned the hobby shop where he purchased his supplies. It was through her that Dr. Alan Gonor came to know of Sapp's work, becoming Sapp's patron and trusted friend. Dr. Gonor arranged for Sapp to receive instruction from Wynona Mulcaster at the University of Saskatchewan. She recognized his superb gift of observation and encouraged him to paint the way he saw and remembered life on the reserve. This was a turning point in Allen Sapp's life. Successful exhibitions of his work in 1969 and 1970 launched his career. In the years following, Sapp has exhibited widely across Canada, the U.S. and abroad. He has been the subject of film documentaries produced by the CBC, CTV, STV, and the National Film Board of Canada. Books published about Allen Sapp include, A Cree Life - The Art of Allen Sapp; Two Spirits Soar - The Art of Allen Sapp; The Inspiration of Alan Gonor; Naheyow - A portrait of Allen Sapp and His People; and now, I Heard the Drums.

Asking price 3139 United States Dollars

SOLD 6/21/2001 1:48:32 AM