Collins Campbell

Collins Campbell, also known by his Indigenous name Wawatay, was an Ojibway painter born on November 5, 1961, in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. He was raised in the remote northern fly-in community of North Spirit Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario.

As a self-taught artist, Campbell drew primary inspiration from his Anishinaabe (Ojibway) heritage, oral traditions, and the spiritual legends shared with him during his childhood. His visual imagery frequently featured northern wildlife and sacred iconography, such as eagles, wolves, loons, buffalo, and spirit figures executed in traditional Woodland-style compositions.

Campbell eventually relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he maintained his studio practice for several decades. He worked predominantly in acrylic and ink on heavy paper stock, wood, and canvas. Campbell lived and worked in Winnipeg until his death on July 20, 2022.