Haircuts, inspiration and positive messages

North End

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/06/2024 (473 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I first came across the Niichii Barber and Salon a few months back when I asked the owner if he could put up a poster promoting an upcoming art show. Les Bruce was sitting outside his barber shop chatting with a few of the locals.

“Sure,” he responded, “always happy to support the arts,… I’m an artist myself.”

He then invited me into his quaint shop and showed me his art, which adorned the walls. I felt a good vibe as soon as I walked in. Each piece of colourful indigenous digital art carried a positive message like, “There is no death… only a change of worlds.” and “The moment has arrived to disown, to stop protecting, and to cease making excuses for those whose actions bring great harm to all communities.” and “In this plane of existence… you are a guest not a ruler … no one owes you a thing.”

Les Bruce has been an artist since childhood, growing up on Poplar River First Nation. He started off drawing, then moved on to painting and digital art. He says he’s mostly a self-taught artist who has also studied music and acting. He moved to Winnipeg at 13, in 1983. Les was in the military from 1990 to ’95. He told me he’s been cutting hair since he was 16, so when the opportunity came, he opened up Niichi Barber and Salon in March 2021 at 8-567 Selkirk Ave.

Les told me he wants to open an art gallery in his salon eventually. I told him I was also very much involved in the art scene and that I would love to write about his art gallery/ salon venture. Every time I drove or walked by his shop, we would exchange friendly greetings.

I visited him again recently and he invited me in. There was still his smaller digital art in the front section, but when he took me into the room in the back, I was greeted by two very large paintings that he recently finished. There was no text on these, but powerful messages still emerged from each. There is a lot of symbolism in Les’ artwork, including in the colours he uses. He uses red to represent the red dresses for MMIWG and orange for the orange shirts that symbolize the graves at residential schools. He also uses red, yellow, white and black, which represent the different races in the medicine wheel.

Les has kept himself busy since I was last in there, not only cutting hair and making art, but he has also built a wall separating the barber shop from the ‘gallery’ in the back. I recently came across some of his art in some of the other businesses along Selkirk Avenue.

Why does he do it, I asked. He said that if his art can inspire someone, that makes him happy. He’s also happy to share some ancient teachings from his culture. He plans to have a grand opening of the gallery soon.

Come to think of it, cutting and styling hair is an art form in and of itself… Les is a true, disciplined artist.