Untitled (Thunderbird Transformation), c.1958–60

This early work was created during a period of experimentation in which Morrisseau connected the ideas and traditions of Anishinaabe art with his own emerging artistic vision. It brings together an important spiritual figure (Thunderbird), a cultural belief (transformation), and a traditional Anishinaabe artistic medium (birchbark). The black lines that would become hallmarks of the artist’s approach are here, though they are less intense than in later works. The piece also highlights Morrisseau’s personal identification with Thunderbird.