Arthur Shilling ACHOO, 1975 Lithograph 6/6

Updated September 5, 2026

Artist: Arthur Shilling (Canadian/Ojibwe, 1941–1986) Title: ACHOO Date: 1975 Medium: Lithograph on paper Edition: 6/6 Sight: 16 × 20 in. Framed: 21 × 25 in. Signature: Signed “Shilling ’75” in pencil lower right; titled “ACHOO” lower centre; numbered 6/6 lower left. An unusual and highly graphic work on paper by important Ojibwe artist Arthur Shilling, composed almost entirely from an extraordinary accumulation of handwritten and gestural marks. Repeated looping letters, numbers and calligraphic forms overlap one another to form a dense abstract field, with the greatest concentration of black linework toward the centre. Titled ACHOO, the composition has a playful, experimental quality markedly different from the expressive portraiture and landscapes for which Shilling is best known. The very small edition of six adds interest to this example. Artist Biography Arthur Shilling (1941–1986) was an Ojibwe artist born at the Chippewas of Rama First Nation near Orillia, Ontario. He became particularly celebrated for his expressive portraits and depictions of his community, characterized by bold handling and a powerful use of colour. He attended the Ontario College of Art for a period but was substantially self-taught. His first solo exhibition in Ottawa in 1967 brought him national recognition. Shilling was also a draughtsman, illustrator and author, working beyond his better-known oils in pastel, watercolour and pencil. He received the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967. The Orillia Museum of Art & History describes him as a trailblazing artist whose career included exhibitions throughout North America, teaching, poetry and the establishment of his own studio in Rama

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