Lee Claremont was born in Woodstock, Ontario. She is of Mohawk/Irish ancestry and is a member of the Grand River Iroquois Six Nations in Oshweken, Ontario. Lee received her BFA (Honours) from the University of British Columbia and now resides in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in BC.
Lee has a strong commitment, enthusiasm and passion for her community, family and friends. She recently won an ‘ANGEL AWARD’ for the “largest individual creative contribution in the visual arts in the Okanagan Valley.” She is a well-respected instructor at the En’Owkin Centre, an internationally recognized Aboriginal Educational College. Lee is in great demand to mentor and facilitate workshops throughout the province.
In the last few years Lee has become a muralist to add to her many talents. In 2004 she was asked to create a 23’x12’ mural at the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan to honour one of her own heroes, Norval Morrisseau, for an exhibition called “Young Spirits Rising” at which Norval attended. Recently Lee painted another mural “Digging Deep from Memory” at the Kelowna Art Gallery.
She is well known for her incredible use of colour and her very distinct and recognizable palette is a rainbow that showers us with a positive sense of emotional energy and healing. Lee thinks that humour is also a great healer and in many of her paintings you can find a sense of playfulness that brings a smile to one’s face.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“My art making takes me to a place of creation, soaring with Skywoman to create an eclectic perception of nature, people, spirituality and Mother Earth. I am a visual storyteller. Within my paintings, I strive to share a sense of wonder and magic and the healing power of the Feminine, the Creator and the land we call Mother Earth. “
Lee Claremont exhibits her work locally, nationally and internationally and her paintings can be found in government, corporate and private collections throughout the world. Lee’s images are found on book covers, art cards, event posters, CD covers and she has also designed a line of fabric using design elements from her paintings. Lee has also won many awards for her work including the Aboriginal Arts Development Award in BC and the “Angel Award”
In the Okanagan. |
