Carl Ray (1943-1978)
Woodland Indian Art

Carl Ray – Artist Biography

Carl Ray, a self-taught artist, was born in 1943 on the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve in Northern Ontario and was known in his Cree community as Tall Straight Poplar (he was 6’4” tall). Ray left his residential school at 15, following the death of his father. Upon his departure from school, he hunted and trapped, however this traditional way of life did not suit him and he had to quit.

Although he had always shown a proficiency in art, he was hesitant to pursue a career in visual art due to the taboo of painting the sacred stories and beliefs of his people. His reluctance was further strengthened by the reprimands he received from his elders anytime he picked up brush of paint. In the mid 1960s, Norval Morrisseau had successfully broken the taboos that had previously restricted Ray from pursuing his artistic abilities. Ray was now able to confidently follow his passions and created outstanding images of wildlife, northern scenic landscapes and “legend paintings”. He would later apprentice under Morrisseau.

Ray would later teach art at numerous schools in northern communities, including Kirkland Lake, Timmins, Wawa, Manitoulin Island, Sudbury, North Bay, Bracebridge, and Oshawa. He also completed many large murals and by the mid 1970s, as a member of the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (commonly known as the Indian Group of Seven), Ray enjoyed the acclaim and success of the group and has his works collected by high profile art collectors and public institutions like the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario.

Carl Ray died in 1978 from a stab wound he sustained during a fight in Sioux Lookout.

Fellow artist Alex Janvier said of Ray: “Carl Ray was the guy who could laugh, make fun of you, throw a joke on you and he’d laugh his head off"
- The Life and Work of the Woodland Artists - Interview with Alex Janvier, 2003.