Portrait of Autumn Peltier (working sketch)

Graphite on acid-free paper 12” x 9”,   dessin 30.48 x 22.86 cm

This is a working sketch (in other words, not refined) prep work for the painting.

Autumn is an Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. She was named Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation in 2019. In 2018, at the age of 13, Peltier addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of water protection.

The image you see here is based on an image taken by photographer Jessica Deeks. It depicts her with some of her regalia, notably her bonnet.