Analysis Of Lawrence Paul's Portrait Of A Residential School Child

Coast Salish Aboriginal artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun works with contemporary art to represent historical, environmental, political and cultural issues (Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun). Lawrence Paul’s Portrait of a Residential School Child created in 2013 with acrylic on canvas creates a reflection on Canadian history (seen on the right); it was featured at the “Witnesses: Art and Canada’s Indian Residential Schools” catalogue in an exhibition held at the University of British Columbia First Nations House of Learning on November 1, 2011 (Canadian Art Witnesses Art and Canadas Indian Residential Schools Comments). The Canadian Art Foundation states that “[Lawrence Paul] has created some of the most memorable painted images in the last quarter-century …show more content…
The motif of the Christian halo causes a conflict of spiritual First Nation beliefs and the Christian traditions (The Globe and Mail). The split between Christianity and Aboriginal faiths has been a problematic issue in Canada since contact was made from Europe. Yuxweluptun stated “I am a history painter […]”, and for the last three decades he has been creating art showing the complexities of being a Native American, in the past, present and future (Denbigh Fine Art Services). Lawrence Paul portrayal of the effects of Christianity to the Native American is brought together in his piece Portrait of a Residential School Child. This like many other works by Paul, it confronts the injustice upon the Native Peoples in Canada; another of his works- Residential School Dirty Laundry also done in 2013, shown to the left has the same characteristics of his other Residential School Work done in 2013 (Connect Emily Carr University/Canadian Art Swarm Celebrates Vancouvers Artist Run Autumn Comments). In Paul’s work of Portrait of a Residential School Child is a significant piece to symbolize the events of the