Clarence “Clancy”
Rising Sun
A proud member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, painting the land and life he knows.
Though Clarence was born in Chicago, his mother brought him back to the Lac du Flambeau Reservation as a young child. Waaswaaganing is the place he calls home. He works for his Tribe and lives near the land and water that continue to shape his art.
He first found his love of art in school, moving through different classes until painting felt most like himself. That spark never left. Today, the encouragement of his three sons and one daughter—and the kind words of people who spend time with his work—keeps it burning.
coming soon
Painting what he has lived and seen.
Watercolor and acrylic are Clarence’s mediums of choice. Most of his work lives on canvas or paper, but he has also painted on driftwood personally collected along the shorelines of Wisconsin’s lakes and Lake Superior—each piece carrying a history before he touches it with a brush.
His subjects come from life on the reservation: chickadees and eagles overhead, musky and walleye beneath the surface, and the quiet details of Northern Wisconsin that are easy to pass by.
Being a Native American artist is not simply something Clarence does; it is part of who he is. He embraces the creativity passed down to him and finds joy in sharing it with his community.
Explore the work“That passion is what makes the work worth making.”
— Clarence “Clancy” Rising Sun