Book - Spiritual Journey Within - the Four Directions of Reconciliation
“Spiritual Journey Within - the Four Directions of Reconciliation”, stories by Joey Podlubny & illustrations by Cree artist Sam Bighetty.
Sam Bighetty is a Woodland Cree from Pukatawagan First Nation, MB although he now calls Calgary home. He started drawing when he was 14 years old and has been painting since he was 20. He comes from a long line of family artists, and grew up watching other family members drawing and painting before trying it himself. His older brother recognized Sam’s talent with drawing and was instrumental in helping him learn to paint.
He works in ink or acrylic depicting animals, warriors and instruments filled with scenery, all in brilliant colours. Every painting contains symbolism to honour women, to recognize a life well lived or a life of hardship and spirituality.
Sam has participated in many shows in Alberta, Winnipeg, Regina and Toronto. He has his work exhibited at the Moonstone Gallery as well as Delree’s Native Art Gallery. He produces commissions such as designs for tattoos, clothing including the design for a 2017 T-shirt for Canada 150 and was the illustrator for a comic book.
He loves the way people react to his paintings and it makes him very happy to give them that enjoyment.
Joey Podlubny has been a photojournalist since 2000 working for newspapers, magazines, governments, NGO's and other clients across North America. He has received many awards for his photography and his images have been used in art galleries, museums, books, private collections, and as public art.
His first long term project was documenting street people in Calgary. For over five years, Podlubny followed hundreds of street people, jumped in garbage bins, picked bottles, cigarette butts, and documented the human beings behind homelessness. He created a book entitled "83 Cents" which he donated all proceeds to the Mustard Seed Street Minstry, a homeless shelter in Calgary.
His photography and his goals are aligned to promote dialogue, create awareness and break through the limiting beliefs many people have. "When I discover that there is a lot more behind something than what I was told or believed it's where I am drawn to. To understand what the truths might be, and help open my mind to see what we can learn from it. We are all human beings but we treat each other so differently. I like to look at the pathways we go down and I think why do we have to think anything at all? Why can't it just reveal itself to an open mind that is not hanging on to what it might be or what we think it is. Lets let go and rediscover it for ourselves so that we know what it is as a human being."
Podlubny currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his wife and two children.