Carl Ray

Canadian, Cree [1943 – 1978]
PNIAI

Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI)

Carl Ray was one of the founding members of the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., informally known as the Indian Group of Seven. Largely self-taught, Ray worked in the Woodlands style of painting, characterized by bright colours, bold black lines, and a distinctive “x-ray” style that revealed the internal energy and organs of his subjects.

Born in 1943 on Sandy Lake First Nation, Ontario, Ray was sent as a child to McIntosh Residential School. During this time, he discovered an interest in self-expression through art making, and began teaching himself to paint. After the death of his father at age 15, Ray left school to help support his family. He later worked in the Red Lake gold mines, where he contracted tuberculosis and was hospitalized at the Fort William Sanatorium. There, he continued to focus on and develop his artistic skills.

Early in his artistic career, Ray formed a close friendship and mentorship with Ojibwe artist Norval Morrisseau. He collaborated with Morrisseau on a large mural commissioned for the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, and Morrisseau’s signature Woodland’s style influenced the young artist heavily.

As Ray’s career progressed and he gained his own recognition, he began receiving illustration commissions and spent time teaching at the Manitou Arts Foundation. He had his first solo exhibition at Aggregation Gallery in Toronto in 1970. In 1973, along with Jackson Beardy, Alex Janvier, Daphne Odjig, Norval Morrisseau, Eddy Cobiness, and Joe Sanchez, Ray co-founded the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI). His work continued to reflect his Cree heritage and his personal experiences, often influenced by his own internal struggles and excesses.

Despite personal challenges, Ray was remembered for his warmth and humour. As Alex Janvier once said, “Carl Ray was the guy who could laugh, make fun of you, throw a joke on you and he’d laugh his head off.”

Tragically, Ray died in 1978 at the age of 35 in a violent altercation in Sioux Lookout. Though his career was brief, he remains a bright figure in the history of Woodlands painting.