Artist Lionel Peyachew’s journey leads to the Sask. Order of Merit

Artist Lionel Peyachew, one of nine recipients of the 2026 Saskatchewan Order of Merit, believes that destiny played a big part in his illustrious career in art, sculpture, and education. A career that was put in motion by some chance paperwork finding its way to him.

Being an athlete in high school, Peyachew, a member of Red Pheasant First Nation, thought that the physical activity involved in being a police officer would be the most fitting career for him. A school friend of his, who was taking elective art classes with Peyachew, sent for applications forms to Alberta College of Art and Design (now the Albert University of the Arts). The school sent two copies of each application, and his friend suggested he fill them out.

Peyachew decided to give it a shot, thinking there was little chance he’d be accepted. A few weeks later, an acceptance letter showed up in the mail.

“I guess it was my destiny,” he said. “I wasn’t really serious about it. I wanted a job that would actually pay me money. But when I got accepted, I wanted to see Calgary, so I went for it.”

Now, Peyachew has been practicing art for over 45 years, and an associate professor at the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) for 21 years. His art, inspired by history and culture, has been installed across Western Canada.

“It’s been such a journey, going from not thinking I was going to be an artist to where I am now,” he said.

“It’s like destiny. Each time there was a direction, a turn you have to follow. You have to trust in your instincts and follow them.”

While Peyachew followed his instincts to art school in Calgary, he knew he hadn’t quite found his place there. After four years at the school, Peyachew went into advertising in Calgary, believing it would be a good way to translate his art skills into a paycheque.

“I didn’t like it. It was really demanding – I would have to stay up until 4-5AM just to get my assignment done for the next day,” he said. “A lot of others were agile and could do it quicker but I was a perfectionist. So I would stay up all night to get my work done.”

Feeling burnt out after two years of little sleep, Peyachew went back to the Alberta College of Art and Design to study painting. He gave it a year, but knew it wasn’t right for him either. He then took a chance, enrolling in a sculpture class, where the lightbulb flicked on for him.

“With sculpture I was able to see everything from a different viewpoint,” he said. “With two-dimensional art, you’re trying to make the paint talk to you. But in sculpture, you can bend, manipulate, cut, add things – it felt there were so many ways to speak through it.”

Still, Peyachew doubted a career in sculpture was realistic. He took a job at the City of Calgary, then an office job with the federal government. But sitting at a desk all day was proving to be draining. So Peyachew decided to once again return to school, this time at the University of Lethbridge to become a teacher. While doing his practicum, reality once again hit.

“All these middle school kids were running around, screaming, with their hormones, throwing shit around the classroom. I thought, can I do this for the next 30 years?”