Cody James Houle (he/him) is an Anishinaabe independent artist based out of Brantford. Raised in an unsafe home in the small military city of North Bay, Ontario, Houle had to generate his own sense of security and sustain his survival through a deeply intimate connection to nature and his heart’s desire to create something meaningful in this life.

Growing up with intergenerational trauma and colonialism, Houle felt shame and guilt about being Native; now, his art allows him to show pride and strength in being an Indigenous man. A self-taught painter, Houle has been active in the arts community for five years—since realizing he enjoyed the visual art form when he started creating at the age of 31.

While drawn to abstract visualizations and animate florals, it is the woodland paintings that resonate most for Houle and his sense of his culture. Houle believes it is important to share art to inspire hope and encourages anyone (especially youth) to create for the sake of creating; to express themselves and give expression to their lives because Indigenous life is art.