Description

As the two ancestors watch over the land, they pray for all the children – every child matters.

Part of the proceeds of the “Remember” collection by John Rombough will help support the Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada, a volunteer organization led by indigenous women.

The perfect gift choice — for Mom, for your wife, for a moment worth cherishing.

Two Ancestors (Hands)	The two large black handprints at the bottom, facing the viewer, are explicitly identified as ancestors. They symbolize protection, guidance, and spiritual watchfulness over the land and the children. The hands are often a recurring motif in Indigenous art, representing connections to the earth, people, and community.
The Land/Ground	The dominant red at the bottom symbolizes the Earth, the blood and spirit of the land, and perhaps, given the context of “Remember” and “every child matters,” the sacred ground where children walk and where the memories of the past remain. The shift to a vibrant orange/yellow middle section suggests a transition, energy, and the warmth of the natural world.
Trees/Trunks	The two tree-like figures are central to the composition. In Woodland art, trees often represent life, connection to the spirit world, and the natural cycle. The trunks are highly stylized, filled with various colourful, organic shapes (or spirit lines) that look like veins or internal organs, suggesting the life force and spiritual energy within the natural world.
Vibrant Ovals/Shapes	The numerous small, brightly coloured oval shapes scattered across the composition—especially around the tree roots and trunks—represent spirits, seeds, life, or energy. Their presence suggests that everything in nature has a spirit and that the ancestors’ prayers are intertwined with the very essence of the land.
Sky and Horizon	The bright blue and orange sky, often with small, glowing dots, creates a sense of vastness and spiritual realm. The bright colours are typical of Rombough’s work, representing new growth and vitality.

John Rombough – Chipewyan Dene Artist

Chipewyan Dene artist John Rombough was born in the remote community of Sioux Lookout in Northern Ontario, Canada. At the age of three, John was adopted by Carol and Lyall Rombough, a Prince Edward Island couple. He attributes his early interest in drawing and painting to being raised in their giving and artistic environment.
John is a self-taught contemporary woodland painter. He uses strong supporting black lines and vibrant colours. His main mentors are artists such as Ojibwe Norval Morrisseau, the grandfather of contemporary woodland style, and those from the ‘Native Group of Seven’.
As a young adult, John began the search for his birth parents. He discovered his biological father, Alfred Catholique, living in the tiny community of Lutselk’e on the shores of Great Slave Lake in Canada’s pristine Northwest Territories.
Warmly welcomed by all the Catholique family, John decided to move to the community in order to rediscover his cultural identity. John Rombough’s painting style has since changed to reflect the harmony of the Dene people with the natural world. His distinctive modern aboriginal designs encompass his own personal visions and strong connection with nature. John’s paintings communicate to all nations through visual interpretation and brilliantly mixed colours. His art sends the message of compassion and respect.
As John works toward creating original pieces, Ceremonial Drum Songs flow through his thoughts, songs that represent Dene teachings and spiritual way of life. Sacred teachings past down from ancestors through his visions inspire John to live a healthy, creative lifestyle, honoring ancestral teachings of ‘respect for self, respect for people and respect for the land’.
John Rombough is recognized as a role model throughout Northwest Territories and takes his role very seriously. His paintings are instrumental in conveying a message to the youth, a message of encouragement, leadership, strength, will power, and determination. New cultural discoveries continue to provide him with an inexhaustible reservoir of ideas to put to canvas.

“It is really fun to be free and speak on canvas, working with landscapes, tree lines, faces in rock formations….I love that it all ties into one and I can feel well balanced on canvas. “