Nanabush

Leland Bell is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe-Odawa) artist born in 1953 at Wiikwemkoong Unceded Reserve on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. His traditional name is Bebaminojmat, which loosely translates to "when you go around you talk about good things." He is from the Loon Clan and is a second degree member of the Three Fires Midewiwin Society. Bell was raised both on the reserve and in Toronto, and graduated from Laurentian University in Sudbury with a major in Native Studies.

Early in his career, Bell was mentored by members of the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (often called the "Indian Group of Seven") at the Manitou Arts Foundation, a summer school that operated on Schreiber Island in 1972. He has been painting professionally since 1976. His work features stylized human figures, often depicting family and friends, with imagery of nurturing, sharing, learning, and serenity. Bell describes his art as coming from the Three Fires (Midewiwin) tradition, rooted in a spiritual experience and his commitment to living as a good being. The circle is central to his compositions, and the rounded lines in his paintings are deliberate.

In addition to painting, Bell works on music and writing. He has collaborated with Shirley Cheechoo and her husband Blake Debassige on music for Cheechoo's film projects. He has worked as an art instructor and conducted workshops and presentations throughout North America. His work has been included in group exhibitions in Ontario, British Columbia, and Switzerland, and is held in collections in North America and Europe.