UNDER THE SEPTEMBER MOON

Rejuvenation ensures that the Circle of Life continues not just on Turtle Island (North America) but on all of Mother Earth. This piece represents this theme by depicting the moose - "moozo" to the Anishinabek - during the time of his peak fertility in the month of September. It is at that time that the cyclic procreative impulse of Creation manifests itself in Moose, who will often traverse great distances through the forests in search of the union that will bring a new generation the following spring. This interplay between male and female is further rendered here by the connection of the feminine moon to the masculine (bull) moose. In the drawing, one can see the "energy'' of this sacred time in the moon (represented by the large moose track) being sent down through Moose, connecting to his four-chambered heart.

Mark Nadjiwan ~ the Artist and the Art 

The subject matter and style of artist Mark Nad)iwan are predominantly inspired by his First Nation heritage. He is a self-taught artist who works primarily in pen and ink. His unique style is a fusion of the Woodland and Northwest Coast Native art traditions. In his work, one can often see the Woodland's characteristic x-ray and wavy line motifs interwoven with the clean formlines and geometry that often typify Northwest Coast art Mark's First Nation roots are grounded in the Lake Supenor and Georgian Bay regions. He continues to live in the traditional territories of the Amshmabek Nation with his artist wife, Patricia Gray. Mark's w'ork can be found in galleries and venues across Canada as well as private collections in both Canada and the United States.

Artist's Statement

"Although I have a deep and abiding affinity for w hat my Anishinabek ancestors called 'keewaydinung' - land of the northwest wind - my experiences of our vast and wild regions are. ultimately, trans-cultural in nature. Whenever 1 travel into those ancient and sacred spaces, path underfoot or paddle in hand, it is my 'internal' experiences of being there that I later try to 'externalize' in my drawings. I choose to do this in a style that is largely derived from the artistic traditions of Aboriginal people as they are the ones whose lives have been most intertwined with the natural world and whose images and stories most resonate with me But the messages that 1 try to incorporate and communicate in much of my work such as connection, interdependence and unity, are universal." 

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