Ice Bear (in Ojibway, Mikwamii-makwa, and Chris Johnson to his friends) is a status member of the Chippewas of Nawash at Cape Croker at Georgian Bay in Ontario. Chris, while still a teen, attended the Toronto Artist’s Workshop, and later Sheridan College. After college, he went to work in the advertising and communications industry, spending the next 25 years as designer and art director.

With his arrival on the west coast, in the early 80s, he felt a growing need to follow his dreams, fulfill his “responsibilities” and give the visions the chance to materialize. He moved to Vancouver Island, adopting the name Ice Bear for his art, and made a personal commitment to fine art.