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Ruth Bonneville / Free Press ENT - WAG Lita Fontaine Winyan, a solo show at the Winnipeg Art Gallery mixing recent and foundational works by artiist, Lita Fontaine, who is of Anishinaabe, Dakota and Metis descent. Drum: Winyan (the title is a Dakota word for “woman”), hear what sounds like a heartbeat –– rhythmic, reassuring, resonant -- without really knowing where it’s coming from at first. It’s only when you move into the exhibition’s second room that you trace it to a ceremonial drum, part of a large installation work titled Woman’s Drum (4th Resurrection). A touchstone in Fontaine’s work that she’s returned to again and again, the drum embodies many of her lifelong concerns, including Indigenous feminism and environmentalism. Its beat can be heard as the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Warm Heart Wheel, a smaller work that hangs on the wall nearby, also references the heart, both in its title and in its repeating motifs. In this piece, gold hearts -- some solid shapes, others having a delicate filigree -- alternate with leaves, flowers, butterflies and birds. Creating patterns of energy against a vivid pink background, these images suggest the connection between the human heart and the natural world. The work’s radiating lines are dynamic and vibrant, but they’re contained within the calm symmetry of the circle. See story by Allison Gillmor. July 25th, 2024