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i u a pi pu pa ti tu ta ki ku ka gi gu ga mi mu ma ni nu na si su sa li lu la ji ju ja vi vu va ri ru ra qi qu qa ngi ngu nga lhi lhu lha

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Eddy Cobiness

Anishinaabe

(1934)

First Name: Eddy

Last Name: Cobiness

Full Name: Eddy Cobiness

Alternative Names:  Eddy “Doc” Cobiness

Date of birth: July 17, 1933

Place of birth: Warroad, Minnesota, United States

Date of death: January 1, 1996

Place of death: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Community / Heritage: Ojibwe

Sex: Male

Art Media: Watercolour, acrylic, coloured pencil, pen, ink, oil.

Bio:

Eddy Cobiness was an Ojibwe artist and graphic designer born in 1933 at the Buffalo Point Reserve near Warroad, Minnesota, United States. Cobiness was largely self-taught, beginning to paint in watercolours while serving in the military. His early work involved realistic illustrations of nature and village scenes, evolving into more abstract depictions of stylized animals and wildlife. Cobiness worked in different mediums, including oil, acrylic, ink, watercolour and coloured pencil. He took inspiration from many sources but counts the art of celebrated Woodland artist Chee Chee as his supreme influence. 

Cobiness was known for adding the number 47 to most of his works. The number was a reference to the treaty numbers that the Canadian government gave to Indigenous groups.

Cobiness belonged to the Woodland School of Art and was a prominent member of the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation. Cobiness, with Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray, Daphne Odjig, Jackson Beardy and Joseph Sanchez co-founded the collective, dubbed “The Indian Group of Seven” in 1973. The group would go on to influence the development of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada.

The artist maintained a large studio in Buffalo Point, on the shore of Lake of the Woods, but in 1974 was forced to move to Winnipeg, Manitoba due to health issues. He suffered from severe diabetes and had a heart attack in 1994. Following complications from a broken hip surgery and diabetes, Cobiness died on January 1, 1996.

Cobiness’ works have been exhibited and collected worldwide, and are notably held in the collection of Queen Elizabeth II.

Exhibitions

  • MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
  • Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada
  • Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Collections

  • Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Québec, Canada
  • Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada
  • Children's Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Government Building, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
  • Province of Manitoba Offices, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Winnipeg City Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Woodland Cultural Centre, Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Articles

Artwork

Title Last Sold At Auction
THE HAPPY RED FOX 2012-11 (November 2012)
BLUE HERON 2020-03 (March 2020)
BUCK HAS LOST AN ANTLER 2012-11 (November 2012)
GREAT GRAY OWL FAMILY 2021-09 (September 2021)
LEARNING TO WRITE 2014-12 (December 2014)
MOTHER MUSKRAT 2020-03 (March 2020)
NESTING OWLS; SEAL; EAGLE 2012-11 (November 2012)
SON OF HAWK; MALLARDS 2012-12 (December 2012)
THUNDERBIRD IN FLIGHT 2022-07 (July 2022)
UNTITLED (BIRDS) 2017-11 (November 2017)
UNTITLED (BULL MOOSE) 2024-10 (October 2024)
UNTITLED (DUCKS AND DRAGONFLIES) 2021-09 (September 2021)
UNTITLED (GOOSE WITH LEAF) 2022-07 (July 2022)
UNTITLED (SQUIRREL EYEING ACORN) 2017-02 (February 2017)
“BUFFALO DANCER” AND “NESTING OWLS” 2018-05 (May 2018)
“NESTING GOOSE” AND “CANADA GEESE” 2018-02 (February 2018)

Recent Auction Results

UNTITLED (BULL MOOSE)
Estimate: 300 — 400
Sold: Oct 2024 — Sold For: $350
THUNDERBIRD IN FLIGHT
Estimate: 150 — 200
Sold: Jul 2022 — Sold For: $480
UNTITLED (GOOSE WITH LEAF)
Estimate: 150 — 200
Sold: Jul 2022 — Sold For: $192
GREAT GRAY OWL FAMILY
Estimate: 100 — 125
Sold: Sep 2021 — Sold For: $72
UNTITLED (DUCKS AND DRAGONFLIES)
Estimate: 250 — 300
Sold: Sep 2021 — Sold For: $600
BLUE HERON
Estimate: 100 — 125
Sold: Mar 2020 — Sold For: $132

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