Quentin Commanda ``Que Rock``
Quentin Commanda, known as “Que Rock” is a Nipissing First Nation-born artist. Quentin began his artistic journey when his mentors encouraged him to pursue his passion for painting. He soon developed a mature graffiti art style in which he utilizes traditional Indigenous styles and techniques to create striking images of animals and nature. Through his art Quentin showcases his ancestors' teachings while creating new spaces for people to come and enjoy art. Quentin has worked with several community-led organizations, painting murals all across Toronto.
Manitou Nemeen
The design was influenced from his Anishinaabe cultural approaches called the Woodlands style. The origin of this style comes from Wawa Ontario on Lake Superior. Imagine rock paintings stacked on top of each other to form a human being. With this art style Que used the Medicine Wheel Teachings to show the Four Natures of all Humans. On the front of the statue in the face has seven rings that are symbolic to the 7 Grand Father Teachings (Wisdom, Love, Humility, Respect, Honesty, Courage (Bravery) and Truth. On the chest is the Anishinaabe medicine wheel with the original four colours of humanity. The front of the statue represents the Southern Direction, and it sits on the turtle shell symbolic to the turtle island stories. It also represents the Red nation. In the direction of the East side of the front of the sculpture is a Tobacco plant. The plants vine is also connected to the plant nations. The Strawberry is over the heart of the human and is know as the Heart Berry. The Left side of the sculpture represents the Yellow nation. It also represents the FIRE element. The Eastern direction. On the shoulder is a colour spectrum of 7 tones from red to yellow. They represent the 7 Grandfather teachings. And the yellow silhouette is a human meditating. This Direction also represents the Spirit. The right side of the sculpture represents the Black Nation, The Water Element, and The Western Direction. The silhouette on the shoulder is a woman connecting to the water teaching and is symbolic to the Water protectors. The back of the sculpture represents the White nation, The Northern Direction, The AIR ELEMENT, The duality teachings, the seven lines are symbolic to 7 generation thinking. These are only some of the teachings of the medicine wheel. Que Rock wanted to use the geometry of the sculpture to look like Rocks stacked on each other. This is symbolic to the woodlands style. This painting is reflecting the Spirit World and how all things are connected. Chi Miigwetch
