Michel Labine

Michel Labine, of Metis heritage is originally from Northern Ontario, born and raised in Hanmer. Michel has made the Northwest Territories his home since 1980 and now lives in Fort Smith on the shores of the Slave River. Michel began dabbling in art at the young age of 6 spending his spare time drawing, carving and creating, it has become his outlet, “ I enjoy working with all available materials but lately I spend countless hours designing custom northern glass creations.” Michel is considered a self–taught artist having some 16 years of experience in the glass art. He still loves carving antlers, wood and metal sculpting but now I love to dabble and experiment trying to create unique northern pieces. “ I tend to see the items within the glass itself and spend hours trying to incorporate the patterns into my work. I’ve inlayed glass panels within snowshoes, native drums and antlers. I design unique custom northern stained glass and warm glass creations and panels that reflect the scenery, wildlife, culture and people of the Northwest Territories. Recently I’ve begun creating lamps and three-dimensional pieces such as tee-pees, drums, masks, and igloos. These new areas have sparked a greater interest in creating integrated glass items. “One must never stop learning”. The fluidness of warm glass is the latest venue he is exploring. Among those who have received Michel’s commissioned works are the former Governor General of Alberta, Justin Trudeau, the Bishop of the Mackenzie Dioceses, the town of Fort Smith, and the Fort Smith Northern Life Museum. His stained glass pieces are displayed in many homes and offices throughout Canada, Australia, Holland, Siberia, Finland, Norway, Greenland and the United States.