Biographical Information
Allen Sapp ~ [1929-2015] Canadian RCA
Sapp was born on the Red Pheasant Reserve in Saskatchewan and as a child he was often sick for long spans of time. During one of these periods, his grandmother’s sister had a dream where Sapp was close to death. In this dream he was given the name ‘Kiskayetum’, which translates to ‘he perceives it’ or ‘he knows it’. Sapp was noted to be very insightful and introspective, even as a child. In 1966, while trying to sell some of his paintings in North Battleford, Sapp met Dr. Gonor who encouraged him to paint his memories of his childhood on the reserve. Sapp and Gonor formed a deep friendship which led to Sapp producing more paintings than ever before, oftentimes getting up in the middle of the night to paint. He experimented with many different styles and mediums, but was known for his short brushstrokes and limited colour use. In 1969, Sapp held his first major exhibition in Saskatoon, which was a huge success with more than 13,000 guests visiting the gallery. This first exhibit led to a show in London, England, followed by more shows in other major Canadian cities, New York, and Los Angeles. Throughout his career, his Northern Cree Plains heritage offered him strength and vision. He was noted to be of ‘central importance to the preservation and renaissance of his culture’. In 1985 he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts and he received the Saskatchewan Award of Merit. In 1987 he was invested as an Officer to the Order of Canada.

for more biographical information and examples of work see artist's website at www.allensapp.com

see
Cree Life - the Art of Allen Sapp, published by J. Warner, Douglas Ltd., 1977;
Two Spirits Soar - The Art of Allen Sapp, The Inspiration of Allan Gonor, by W.P. Kinsella, published by Stoddart, 1990;
Kiskayetum - Allen Sapp: - Retrospective, by Bob Boyer, published by MacKenzie Art Gallery, 1994;
The Song Within My Heart, David Bouchard, published by Raincoast Books, 2002;
Nokum is My Teacher, by David Bouchard, Red Deer Press, 2006

biography and other examples in
Time for Dialogue, by Joane Cardinal-Schubert, pg. 19, published by Calgary Aboriginal Awareness Society, 1992;
Biographical Dictionary of Saskatchewan Artists - Men, by Marketa Newman, pg. 223, published by Fifth House, 1994;
Westbridge, Vol. 4, pg. 4

listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, see website at Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN]

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