In this subversive portrait, Poitras examines dispossession and Aboriginal assimilation. A group portrait of Cree children, posed in front of a residential school, is framed by symbols of their traditional heritage. The black band above the image, representing the classroom's lined blackboard, contains Cree syllabics representing the language they were denied.
Poitras, Jane Ash, 1951- : Born in the isolated Indian community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, Jane Ash Poitras' abundant talent and solid academic achievement have provided a solid foundation for her ongoing examination of the issues surrounding acculturation.
Her academic achievements include a B.Sc. in Microbiology and a B.F.A. in Printmaking from the University of Alberta and an M.F.A. in Printmaking from Columbia University in New York City.
Over the past l0 years her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in commercial galleries, public galleries and museums in the United States, Canada and around the world. Her work is included in numerous public, corporate and private collections. Public collections include the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Columbia University, New York; Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Vancouver Art Gallery; McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario; and the National Gallery, Ottawa.
Jane Ash Poitras currently lives and works in Alberta.
