Rabbett Strickland, Ojibwe

Born in 1949 in San Francisco, Mr. Strickland grew up in the Bay Area. His relatives, including his mother, aunts and uncles grew up in the Bay Area and were later sent to Tomah, Wisconsin and then to a non-Indian foster family. Mr. Strickland learned to draw by copying Michelangelo, Rubens, Caravaggio, Titian, and Picasso. He melds classical painting and drawing techniques with Ojibwe cultural narrative to produce detailed, oversized canvasses, resulting in startling and powerful visions. Rabbett is also a gifted mathematician and musician. He has been generous with his artwork, donating many pieces to Native nonprofit organizations, including the Native American Health Center in San Francisco. He lives in San Francisco where he chooses to live a nonmaterial lifestyle that allows him to pursue his lifelong passion for painting.