The creation of Kris Nahrgang will adore the grounds of CNE for a long time inspiring Canadians to unite towards achieving a better existence for all of the people in the beautiful country. This was his task, says the popular Ojibway artist who created a 28-foot totem pole for Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).
Called the Unity Pole, it will be displayed at CNE’s Enercare Centre in the Heritage Court starting from August 17. It will remain there untill September 4th after which it will be a permanent part of the CNE premises. So even if someone misses the opportunity to see it in September, they can easily have a look at it just by going to CNE in Toronto.
So, how did he find his way through?
Art comes in different forms, and it’s the artist that tells us just how creative one could get with things. There are many people who are fond of carving, painting, and sculpturing, but some people have different preference – they love games playing. So you are games lover you can amuse yourself checking casinovalley.ca entertainment guide, where you will find a list of the most popular online casino in Canada. But still there a lot of people who enjoy making art, like Nahrgang, who said that he got full freedom from CNE to carve the pole in his own way expressing the story he wanted to. He is more into carving stones but this time he used a white cedar tree.
He had got it from Peterborough some time back. Working with wood gives him a special feeling, expressed Nahrgang. He finds it amazing that the whole creation begins only from a living thing and then is transformed to tell a story to the world. He finds himself blessed with the gift of perceiving the spirit of the tree and the way it transforms till the end.
Nahrgang’s Unity Pole is distinctly different from the West Coast style where the poles are made from red cedar and sport muted colors. But his totem pole is made in a cultural style and is painted with bright colors and clear lines.
Nahrgang has been carving objects into beautiful art from 1989 as a form of therapy to revitalize his hands damaged by working for 16 long years in the auto body industry. He lives with his wife and daughters in Big Cedar and has gradually built up quite a reputation in Canada and worldwide. Many famous personalities including Justin Trudeau, George Bush, and Nelson Mandela have been known to have Nahrgang’s creations.
Donna Child from Artworld Fine Art made the project possible and chose Nahrgang because she knew him from before and was sure in his ability to create the perfect totem pole which tells a story. She considers the Unity Pole as a story that unites the country of Canada. It is the first time that CNE has commissioned for the first time since the 1940s which makes the creation more important.
Besides carving stones and creating totem poles Nahrgang also supports the rights of the First Nation communities. He is also going to be the co-host in a TV documentary series on APTN along with Sarain Fox. The series is going to be a work on indigenous identity and knowledge and is aimed at ensuring that traditional art gets the recognition it deserves.