Meaghan comes from a family of musicians and artists, with both her grandmother and her great grandmothers being painters. She cites her family heritage (Gitxsan, Celtic, and Norse), the beauty of nature, rock n’ roll, and visually bold styles such as Baroque architecture as being the greatest influences on her work. Meaghan studied at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and graduated from the Jewellery Art and Design program at Vancouver Community College (VCC).
Meaghan favours bold, androgynous designs that remind the wearer to be fearless in celebrating who they are, without pretense. She hopes to push wearers (any age and gender) toward larger scale pieces not as statement jewellery, but to be worn proudly everyday.
]]>-Juanita Ens
One of Juanita's most unique and striking works in this medium is her Fungus Man circular panel:
"The Fungus Man piece is based on historical Argillite plates illustrating the part of the Raven travelling story where Raven animates a piece of bracket Fungus to use as his canoe steersman. All the glass used is the same smoky grey colour, however there are multiple textures used in the trees, mushrooms, and a wavy texture to represent the existential event. All the details are hand painted including three different types of mushrooms found on Haida Gwaii."
-Juanita Ens
Juanita plans to continue producing stained glass work, as well as expanding into regalia making, linocut prints, and returning to hand-carved jewellery. We at Lattimer Gallery are honoured to feature Juanita's work and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
"The beauty of stained-glass as a medium is every piece will always be completely unique. Each piece has its own swirls and bubbles, lines, and textures. Glass manufacturing is also in flux and certain colors and materials are no longer available adding to the uniqueness of every creation."
-Juanita Ens
]]>This new sculpture stands as the first piece of Nuxalk artwork to be cast in bronze: Tl'uk, a stunning Moon mask. From a numbered limited edition of twelve, it was created to represent the Nuxalk Lunar Calendar’s twelve moons. This Lunar Calendar is split between Harvesting Moons (January to September) and Ceremonial Moons (October to December). Each of these Moons represent an action to be taken during that time of year, and all these actions in sequence enable Nuxalk people to sustain a harmonious and sustainable society. Tl'uk represents April, or Siqyulc, the time for making salmon weirs. It is the second month of the Nuxalk Lunar Calendar. Tl’uk is striking yet undeniably gentle, gracefully conveying the Moon’s role as a guardian of humanity. Its rounded features are typical of Nuxalk design.
“This Lunar Calendar is essentially a living clock that has been a consistent reminder of how we all have a time and place in the great universe.”
- Kelly Robinson
Second, we have Knowledge Keeper, a playful, expressive, and essentially Nuxalk mask. A knowledge keeper is a member of Nuxalk society who dedicates themself to the preservation of traditional cultural practices and has a strong connection to the spirit realm. The colour blue, also associated with the spirit realm, covers much of Knowledge Keeper’s face, with pockets of red, white, and black appearing only around the mask’s mouth, nose, and eyes to signify transition between the two realms. As with Tl'uk, Knowledge Keeper is informed by traditional Nuxalk design in its soft, smooth features which sit crowned by a thin mane of white rabbit’s fur. Knowledge Keeper’s smile exudes an air of benevolent mischief and hints at wisdom waiting to be shared.
Third is Thunderbird Transforming, a powerful mask created in a traditional Nuu-chah-nulth style. It depicts the titular Thunderbird midway through his transformation into Human form. Thunderbird is a legendary being in Nuu-chah-nulth mythology who lives atop Thunder Mountain and preys upon Whales. He is aided in his hunt by Lightning Snakes, or Haietlik, mythic serpents who live among Thunderbird’s feathers and act as lightning-imbued harpoons. The red figure painted across this mask’s forehead is a lightning snake. Thunderbird Transforming’s smooth yet angular features and minimal, asymmetric painted formline are hallmarks of Nuu-chah-nulth design. This mask contains great energy which is, in part, generated through Kelly's elegant and labour intensive knife-finishing.
Our final featured piece is Ravens, a large and intricately carved silver bracelet depicting two Ravens transforming into Human form. One Raven sits perched atop the other and the wings of both stretch out behind them. Small human faces, comprised of an eye, brow, mouth, and nostril, hide within these wings to signify the act of transformation. Raven serves as the creator figure for nearly all Northwest Coast Indigenous Nations and is known for his intelligence, curiosity, and creativity. Raven can be identified by his strong, straight tapered beak, sometimes very slightly curved or squared at the tip. Beyond making effective use of the cuff’s great size, Ravens’ rolling, tiered forms gracefully convey a feeling of flow, in time, space, and spirit.
Lattimer Gallery is proud to have had a long-standing working relationship with Kelly Robinson. We have several pieces from him beyond those featured above, which can be viewed here along with a more detailed biography. We look forwards to following Kelly's career well into the future.
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The pole is adorned with Coast Salish motifs in black, red, and blue, but Terry chose to let the wood’s natural colour and texture speak for itself as the Bear’s fur. Once the pole was complete, we transported it to the client’s home to install it on their beautiful second-floor mezzanine overlooking the living space.
Terry Horne's primary crest symbol is Sisiutl. He carries the ancestral name of Siyemches, a name passed down to him by his grandfather, Frank Malloway. His education took place while working under the direction of his father, Francis Horne, and uncle, Doug Lafortune. His brother is well-known carver Francis Horne Jr. Terry assisted his uncle in the completion of two 30-foot totem poles for Butchart Gardens' 100th Anniversary in Victoria. In 2019, Terry was commissioned to create a large Stó:lō house post for the Chilliwack YMCA. Many of his sculptures and masks contain unique features involving shamanistic elements and atypical formline design.
]]>“In the summer of 2019 I completed a mentorship with celebrated Kwakwaka’wakw carver Kevin Cranmer. One of the skills I wanted to learn was how to do articulating elements in masks. We chose to create three pieces: a Raven Headdress, a Sea Monster mask, and a Kumugwe mask…all with articulating jaws. Kevin recalls a great deal of trial and error over the years perfecting these techniques and wanted to pass them on to me in the most efficient way possible.” – Erich Glendale
Erich’s new pieces can be seen on our website. They include the three pieces described in the quote above, as well as several decorative rattles and a yellow cedar paddle.
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Losing Gerry and Val within a few days of one another in March was very difficult. Val was like an aunt to me. Her spirit was beautiful and her positivity was unmatched. Gerry grew to be a great friend over the past five years, above and beyond a business relationship. Spending time hearing his music and looking at his paintings at his home are some of my fondest memories. I loved both Val and Gerry, and they will be greatly missed. – Peter Lattimer
The left side of this print shows the sea creatures in the tidal zone, the middle of the print shows Tide Woman, and the right side of the print shows Raven poking the woman with an urchin. Cheeky!
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This is an enlightening excerpt on the art of hand-engraving from the book Understanding Northwest Coast Indigenous Jewelry: "Some Northwest Coast jewelers still prefer to 'carve in the round'. They wrap a metal blank around a cylindrical piece of wood, often referred to as a donut, and hold it in one hand while engraving with the other. With this technique, the graver is usually pulled through the metal. The advantages to this traditional method are that these cylindrical wood blocks are light and transportable and the metal is already rounded, which reduces the risk of any creasing when the metal is being shaped after it has been engraved. The disadvantages are that it is much more difficult to create a symmetrical design when the metal is rounded at the outset, and it is more laborious to engrave the piece while holding it rather than having it anchored to a vise on a workbench. Today, a piece of Northwest Coast jewelry is typically engraved by affixing the flat metal blank to a wooden block with pitch, anchoring it in a vise grip, and pushing the graver through the metal. One of the advantages to this method is that designs can be applied to the flat, secured metal in such a way that the artist can ensure balance and symmetry in the composition."
Here at Lattimer Gallery, we just need the following information to get your custom order started: artist preference, ring sizes, width preferences, and desired design. After we have this information, we ask the respective artist for a quote and then require a refundable deposit. Most orders take between 3-4 weeks. Pictured above is a set of silver and gold combination 'Wolf' rings by Justin Rivard and a set of 14k gold 'Stacking Salmon' rings by Shawn Edenshaw. Wolf often symbolizes family in Northwest Coast culture because these animals travel in packs and look out for one another. Salmon is also a popular design for wedding rings because salmon represent the cycle of life and continuity.
Designs do not necessarily need to be identical either. Above is a set of 14k solid gold wedding rings by First Nations artist Kelvin Thompson wherein one depicts 'Eagle' and the other depicts 'Raven'. Within several Nations located in the Pacific Northwest, communities are entirely divided into two moieties: Eagle and Raven. Within these two clans, there are numerous crests which help to divide and organize the population. One of the reasons for this type of organization was to ensure the gene pool in remote areas remained diverse. Another reason is the mythological lineage linked to specific families and family names. To this day, Eagles cannot marry other Eagles, and Ravens cannot marry other Ravens. The visual pairing of Eagle and Raven is often referred to as “love birds” because of the frequent bonding between Eagles and Ravens in many Northwest Coast cultures.
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Providing a step-by-step overview of various techniques, the book also introduces the specifics of formline design, highlights the traits of the most common animal symbols used, offers tips for identification, and features biographies and works from over fifty of the Coast’s best-known jewelers. Finally, it delves into the history of the art form, from the earliest horn and copper cuff bracelets to cutting-edge contemporary works and everything in between.
Alexander Dawkins is a co-owner of Lattimer Gallery, which specializes in contemporary Northwest Coast art and promotes the work of emerging artists. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History with a focus on Indigenous art; a master’s degree in Art History; and a master’s degree in Library and Archival Science.
]]>Roger attended the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art for two years. His work has been shown at the Terrace Art Gallery and the Kitimaat Museum. In 2016, he received a scholarship from Vancouver-based company Native Northwest. In 2018, he won the President’s Art Award from Northwest Community College for a painting inspired by a traditional Chilkat blanket. Between 2018-2019, Roger apprenticed under Haida artist Corey Bulpitt. In 2020, Roger completed the Jewellery Arts Program at Vancouver's Native Education College.
Alder Feast Ladle with Abalone 'Eagle' Design $500.00 CAD
Red Cedar Mask 'Haida Portrait Mask' $700.00 CAD
Red Cedar Wall Panel 'Chilkat Weaving' Design $2,000.00 CAD
]]>A few features of the collection include Imagism from 2000 and Different Perspective from 1992. Imagism is based on a modernist movement in poetry that arose around 1912 and was defined by American poet, Ezra Pound. The central figure in Imagism is a magnificent creature transforming, part bird and part human, framed by a cliff which refers to the Fraser Canyon. The spheres in the piece represent celestial bodies and Coast Salish peoples’ progress through time.
In Different Perspective, Point references an influential nineteenth-century Coast Salish carving known as the Peabody Comb, since it is housed in Harvard University’s Peabody Museum. This comb is identified by many as a quintessential example of Salish design, and Point has reframed this design by rendering it in a futuristic, three-dimensional fashion. The seemingly computer-generated comb design floats in space, hovering above an abstracted red Salish weaving pattern. This print can be viewed as a comment upon the timeless quality of Coast Salish form.
Since the early 1990s, Susan has received numerous awards that recognize her great artistic achievements. In March of 2004, she was appointed to the Royal Canadian Academy, and in 2006 she was awarded the Order of Canada. In 2007, she received a BC Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art.
"With this painting Encode it is my intention to present a scene of technological metamorphosis. A tadpole turns into a frog. Hidden from the viewer is the liminal space where this change takes place. With the advent of new technology, I reflect upon what is gained and what is left behind as we live through a technological metamorphosis."
Encode is a stunning example of Lecoy's modern reflections on traditional Northwest Coast Indigenous art. He uses the trigon, a mainstay feature of formline design, as a free-floating auxiliary element, and experiments with core tenets of formline itself through the interlocking forms within his subject's bodies. Lecoy's boundary-pushing style is also on display in Dissociation, another piece of his we currently carry.
Cody Lecoy was born in Richmond, British Columbia on May 16, 1989. He began studying at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Fine Arts Program in Vancouver in 2008. He was a recipient of the Vancouver International Airport Art Foundation Scholarship in both 2011 and 2012. Between 2011 and 2013, he worked under famous Indigenous painter, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. In 2013, Cody had a solo show at Lattimer Gallery titled Cody Lecoy: Recollection of a Dream. In 2014, he was featured in the Richmond Art Gallery exhibition Interweavings. Lecoy is a promising young artist that we are excited to see continue evolving.
]]>Hollie Bartlett's family crest is the Killerwhale. She began her artistic career as a photographer for Kahtou News: The Voice of BC First Nations. In 1998, she began an apprenticeship with established Kwakwaka’wakw/Tlingit jeweller Corrine Hunt. She learned engraving techniques, stone-setting, and overlay methods with Corrine. In 2009, Hollie showed her work in the Continuum: Vision and Creativity on the Northwest Coast exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver, BC. In 2019, she was featured in the landmark publication Understanding Northwest Coast Indigenous Jewelry by author Alex Dawkins.
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The Porcupine Hunter story follows here: every year in the early fall, a hunter would venture out and kill many porcupines. In the winter, the hunter would dry the meat and people from various villages would come to him for porcupine meat. There were four valleys that he used as his hunting ground, and in each there was a hut he had made for processing and drying the meat obtained during his hunt. The Porcupine Hunter had a good club made of yew wood that he would use to club the porcupines after smoking them out of their dens.
Because of this, all the porcupines were in distress on account of this one hunter. One year, after filling the first three huts with meat for drying, the hunter arrived in the fourth valley to see a large porcupine rounding the corner of a massive spruce tree. Running after it, the hunter found a door open before him leading to a great fire in a big house. A great chief was sitting before the fire, and asked his people to dance to welcome their guest. After the chief himself sang, he demanded the hunter pronounce his name. Getting the answer wrong, the hunter was struck by the Chief in the face by his spiny tail, leaving quills stuck in the hunter’s face. Three more times this happened, with each strike leaving the poor hunter in worse shape. Before the fifth round of singing, Mouse Woman touched the hunter on the sleeve and warned him that if he answered incorrectly a fifth time, he would be killed by the Porcupine Chief as punishment for killing so many of his kin. Mouse Woman warned the hunter that he must answer to the question of the Chief’s name: “Sea Otter on Green Mountain”.
Mouse Woman Helping the Hunter
The Porcupine Chief had finished singing and asked the hunter, who was now so injured from the quills in his face he could barely see through his eyes, to pronounce his name. The hunter answered as Mouse Woman had instructed him; in a low voice he said “Your name is Sea Otter on Green Mountain”. Having answered correctly, the Porcupine Chief asked that the man’s face be cleaned and the quills removed. The green contents of each of Chief Porcupines four wives’ stomachs were used to cleanse the hunter’s face, each time the swelling would go down and more and more quills would be loosened and fall out. By the time the contents of the stomach of the fourth wife were placed on the hunter’s face, no more quills remained.
The Porcupine Chief then had food brought to the man, and as they ate he explained to the hunter that his people were full of sorrow for having been killed in such high numbers over the years. For sparing the hunters life, the Porcupine Chief asked the hunter to not kill such large amounts of porcupines and that when he does to eat the meat before the winter sets in so his people do not have sickness in the winter, to cast the bones into the fire the meat has been dried over, and to not allow his young people to eat the heads of young porcupines lest they become forgetful.
When the hunter returned to his wife, he told her what had happened. They gathered the meat from all of the valleys and brought it back to their village where they hosted a feast. People now know that porcupines are troubled by people and that they know how to sting and will do so to protect themselves. (Tsimshian Mythology 1916 Boaz, F and Tate, H.W.)
The panel represents the point in the story when the Chief Porcupine, Sea Otter on Green Mountain, is hitting the hunter in the face and Mouse Woman is coming to his aid. We can see the man curled up, his arms raised in defense, on the bottom right of the panel and the spined tail of the porcupine coming down from above onto his head on the top left side of the panel. Phil has also recently created two new limited edition prints; Formless and Łagigyet.
Phil Gray belongs to the Killerwhale Clan and his works are created in his traditional Ts'msyen style. He began carving in 1998 with Salish artist Gerry Sheena. He also had the opportunity to work with David Boxley, Henry Green, and Rick Adkins early in his career. Phil primarily works in red cedar and creates masks, paintings, panels, poles, sculptures, and drums. In September of 2003, Phil had three of his pieces donated to the Burke Museum in Seattle, WA. In 2005, Phil was featured in the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, NY. In 2007, Phil completed the Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts Program at the Native Education College in Vancouver, BC, under Kwakwaka’wakw/Haida artist Dan Wallace. Phil was included in two major exhibitions in 2009. The first was the Challenging Traditions exhibition at Ontario's McMichael Gallery, a show that was dedicated to exploring innovative and experimental works from the Northwest Coast. The second was Continuum: Vision and Creativity on the Northwest Coast at Vancouver's Bill Reid Gallery, which highlighted 23 established Aboriginal artists from BC, Washington State, and Alaska. In February of 2010, Phil designed the helmet of gold medal-winning Skeleton racer Jon Montgomery. Montgomery held Phil's helmet throughout the Olympic awards ceremony. In 2012, Phil was included in the Vancouver Art Gallery's Shore, Forest, and Beyond exhibition. In 2014, Phil was awarded a BC Creative Achievement Award for his contributions to the province. In 2017, Phil won two major prizes: a YVR Art Foundation Mid-Career Scholarship and a REVEAL Indigenous Art Award, which was issued in celebration of Canada's 150th birthday.
Clinton Work, a Kwakwaka'wakw artist currently residing in Portland, continually augments these materials and in many cases translates formline and utility into contemporary iterations of cultural expression. Weather it is through his abstract design, use of material, or functionality of a piece, the result is always an example of artistic innovation and his own growth as an artist.
Clint out-did himself in terms of boundary-pushing creativity when he built and carved a 'bentwood box' made entirely out of LEGO for Lattimer Gallery's Annual Charity Bentwood Box Auction in December of 2018.
Soon after, he went even further to make Chilkat-style pendants out of LEGO - complete with trade beads also carved from the iconic children's toy. Chilkat weaving is one of the most complex weaving techniques in the world. It is unique in that the artist can create curvilinear and circular forms within the weave itself and a Chilkat blanket can take up to a year to weave. Traditionally mountain goat wool, dog fur, and yellow cedar bark are used in Chilkat weaving. Materials used in Chilkat weaving have been being modified and adapted to availability since the practice began. When the coastal woolly dogs native to the Northwest Coast went extinct in the 19th century, mountain goat fur with plant fiber subsumed the dog fur in blankets, and later sheep's wool became the standard for ease of access.
As evidenced by Clint's creative take on this technique, we can see now that shifting materiality is still an important part of the practice of creating these Chilkat-style designs. While Chilkat blankets are Tlingit in origin, the design practice has been gifted and inherited through alliances and inter-marriage along the coast. It is now a weaving practice that can be found throughout north-coastal BC, although the rights to wear and dance a Chilkat blanket are not assumed through the rights to weave them.
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Many of Trevor’s sculptures and panels employ cropping, the asymmetrical re-framing of conventional designs, which imbue his pieces with movement and a modern feel. New to the gallery is a stunning large red cedar bentwood box titled Wegyet’s Dream. This piece depicts Wegyet, a revered Gitksan Raven transformer figure, displayed in many forms across the surfaces of the bentwood box. Measuring 25 ½” x 16 ¼” x 16 ¼”, this impressive example of Trevor’s work is available for $9,000.00 CAD. We also have several beautifully carved wall panels and paddles from Trevor Angus ranging in price from $1,500.00 CAD to $6,000.00 CAD. Please visit our website to see more pieces from this talented artist.
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Lattimer Gallery has this compact and elegant version of Lyle’s Orca Chief available for $25,000.00 CAD. It measures 52” x 48” x 4” and is constructed from aluminum and powder-coated steel. Lyle belongs to the Haisla culture and is one of the most sought-after Northwest Coast artists working today. In addition to his piece at the Vancouver International Airport, he has completed major commissions for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Consulate in Osaka, Japan.
]]>Our new gallery is opening in conjunction with the MOV’s much-anticipated First Nations exhibition, Haida Now. Guest curated by Haida Curator, Kwiaahwah Jones, in collaboration with Viviane Gosselin, Co-curator and Director of Collections & Exhibitions at MOV, Haida Now will highlight over 450 of these items that originate from Haida Gwaii. From argillite sculptures to intricate wood carvings, the selection of items for this show is diverse. The exhibition is organized into meaningful groupings of works that highlight the interconnection between art, language, land, spirituality, resilience, and life in the city. Large portraits of the Haida in Haida Gwaii and Vancouver are featured with compelling soundscapes, short films, and interactive displays to offer a vivid sense of the vibrancy of the culture. Haida Now opens March 16, 2018 and runs until June 15, 2019.
The Museum of Vancouver moved into its landmark building, which is located in Vanier Park, in 1968. Since that time, the MOV has acted as a cultural hub for the City of Vancouver. We encourage all of our customers and followers to drop by the MOV, check out Haida Now, say hello to us at our new location, and buy a MOV membership to support this vital institution.
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Lucid Dream is a recent piece by Tsm'syen/Cree artist Phil Gray. Phil's masks are highly sought after and we are always excited to be able to showcase new masks and sculptures of his in the gallery. Attention to detail, influence from cultural knowledge, unparalleled finishing, and smooth painting give Phil's masks the distinctive and beautiful traits that make them so unique.
Phil created Lucid Dream as a custom order for the gallery and - as always - the final result was a stunning piece of art that incorporates complex design and potent subject matter.
Carved from Alder with abalone inlays, this piece was influenced by a shared experience Phil and his mother had in the form of a dream. The central figure and the figure riding the whale atop the piece represent two figures at once; Gunarah - the whale rider - and a person dreaming. The Whale Rider story is popular throughout Northern Coastal BC and multiple families and communities tell a version of it.
At the root of the story of Gunarah and his Wife is a benevolent Orca who comes to Gunarah's aid. Orcas are often depicted as offering help or solace to humans in need, especially those who are in danger at sea.
Phil and his mother have both had dreams where they are on the shore in place of Gunarah, and when the benevolent Orca comes to bring them down to the sea floor - they do not go with him. Had they been able to control the actions of their dreams (i.e. lucid dreaming), they could have made the decision to travel with the Orca.
Coming from the central figure's mouth are a sea lion and an otter, these two supernatural creatures are said to guard the bighouse on the sea floor where Gunarah's wife is taken. The two humans on either side represent the potential knowledge that can be attained through the dream world, with the abalone inlaid in their eyes representing this otherworldly enlightenment. The figure on the top of the Orca is the whale rider.
Phil Gray belongs to the Killerwhale Clan and his works are created in his traditional Ts'msyen style. He began carving in 1998 with Salish artist Gerry Sheena. He also had the opportunity to work with David Boxley, Henry Green, and Rick Adkins early in his career. In 2005, Phil was featured in the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, NY. In 2007, Phil completed the Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts Program at the Native Education College in Vancouver, BC, under Kwakwaka’wakw/Haida artist Dan Wallace. Phil was included in two major exhibitions in 2009. The first was the Challenging Traditions exhibition at Ontario's McMichael Gallery, a show that was dedicated to exploring innovative and experimental works from the Northwest Coast. The second was Continuum: Vision and Creativity on the Northwest Coast at Vancouver's Bill Reid Gallery, which highlighted 23 established Aboriginal artists from BC, Washington State, and Alaska. In February of 2010, Phil designed the helmet of gold medal-winning Skeleton racer Jon Montgomery. In 2012, Phil was included in the Vancouver Art Gallery's Shore, Forest, and Beyond exhibition. In 2014, Phil was awarded a BC Creative Achievement Award for his contributions to the province. In 2017, Phil won two major prizes: a YVR Art Foundation Mid-Career Scholarship and a REVEAL Indigenous Art Award, which was issued in celebration of Canada's 150th birthday.
]]>This new cuff by Nuxalk artist Kelly Robinson represents some of the earliest Nuxalk stories which detail creation of the land and animals. The bracelet is titled The First Tree Ancestor and the design begins centrally and radiates outwards - a representation of the progression of stories and history through time.
The Tree of Life is central to the composition, situated between the Raven and the Thunderbird. After the land was formed by the creator, the earliest stories are about the Raven and the Thunderbird. These stories are very powerful in Nuxalk culture and prominent in the oral history.
A human figure is included at either end of the bracelet. After the animals, stories of humans and clans emerge within Nuxalk oral history. Based on the prominent placement of these figures and their attire, it is fair to assume that these humans represent ancestors and/or past chiefs.
Kelly's technical skill in carving and metalwork are showcased in many ways on this piece. His engraving is distinctive and his strong understanding of formline is clear. The cutouts in the centre and along the top showcase the complex composition of the piece and demonstrate the care Kelly had to take when bending and shaping the cuff. This piece is wide but has a delicate effect. The First Tree Ancestor by Kelly Robinson is bound to make a striking and unique addition to any jewellery collection.
Kelly learned Nuxalk design and conventions from Nuxalk artist Alvin Mack. He began painting in 1997, and familiarized himself with Northwest Coast aesthetics. While Kelly is making a name for himself with his prints and jewellery, he has started to branch out and apply his designs to other media. For example, he has created several bentwood boxes for Lattimer Gallery. Kelly also graduated from the Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts program at Vancouver's Native Education College in March of 2010. Immediately following this, he apprenticed under Haida jeweler James McGuire. Many of his pieces display traditional Nuxalk design with a modern twist, such as reversing positive and negative space in places.
]]>Beau Dick created a legacy in the Northwest Coast art market that will have a rippling effect for generations of artists from all over BC, Canada, and globally. He passed away in 2016, before his time. While best known for his affective masks and sculptures, Beau was a talented artist when it came to other media as well and created some distinctive and unique limited edition prints.
Tanis and Tani Gee are no exceptions to this legacy. These prints are simple in their design, yet they convey a deep sense of story and history.
Representing the Hamat'sa Dancer and the Winter Dancer, Tanis and Tani Gee are two- dimensional representations of Beau's striking art form. Beau Dick was an initiated Hamat'sa Dancer himself, so these prints can be interpreted as an expression of Beau's role as a participant. Little is known about the Hamat'sa to non-members, but we do know that cedar and cedar bark are used in the dance. Green cedar boughs are represented in the prints, and both prints show the main dancer interacting with these boughs in various ways.
These prints are a diptych that are available in the gallery or from our online print store: Native Art Prints
Beau's many works included masks, bowls, rattles, drums, original paintings, and limited edition prints. He began carving at a very early age, studying under his father, Benjamin, and his grandfather, James Dick. He worked with Tony and Henry Hunt, Bill Reid, Doug Cranmer, and Robert Davidson. His many important pieces are in the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the Burke Museum in Seattle, and the BC Provincial Museum. Beau danced and performed at the Opening Ceremony of Expo 1986, and it was during this same year that he designed the Hands of Friendship logo for Lattimer Gallery. In May of 1998, his work was featured at the re-opening of Canada-House in London, England. In 2005, he was included in the highly successful exhibition Totems to Turquoise, which opened in New York and then came to Vancouver. In 2012, Beau received the Jack and Doris Shadbolt Foundation’s VIVA Award for Visual Arts. Between 2014 and 2016, Beau was the University of British Columbia's Artist in Residence. He was dedicated to learning about historical Kwakwaka'wakw and Northwest Coast artwork, and he used many older pieces to fuel his creative processes.
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Corey Larocque is an up-and-coming Haida artist who trained with Wayne Alfred and Beau Dick. The influence of his mentors can be seen in his carved pieces and jewellery. His masks especially reflect the influence from Beau and are expressed here in Corey's combined use of cotton, feathers, cedar bark, and striking white paint.
The Pookmis (Nearly Drowned Man) is a prominent story that is told throughout Vancouver Island and as far north as Haida Gwaii.
The Pookmis is a sea spirit in human form, often described as a drowned whale hunter – he is often depicted with a ghostly appearance. He is fast moving, and dangerous to seafarers.
In art, Nearly Drowned Man is depicted with a fish-like face; round eyes in well-defined sockets; gills; prominent, rounded contours on the face; prominent front teeth or pursed lips; often in white; sometimes with protruding eyes and claws.
Corey started carving in 2004, inspired by the artwork of prominent Vancouver Island artists, such as Russell Smith and Rande Cook. He has worked with celebrated Kwakwaka'wakw carver, Beau Dick, as well as Wayne Alfred. In recent years, he has started to create jewellery. Corey carries the name Noka Tsi, which was given to him by the Alfred family and is the name of Wayne's grandfather's box of treasures.
]]>Corey Bulpitt, a prominent Haida artist who has recently participated in the Vancouver Mural Festival and the Lattimer Gallery Annual Charity Bentwood Box Auction, continues to produce innovative and unique works of art that express the richness of Haida tradition and oral history. Corey is a recent recipient of the BC Creative Achievement Award for First Nations Art, and his talents are easily demonstrable in his artwork. As demand for his work continues to rise, we are excited to be displaying two new carved pieces of Corey's at Lattimer Gallery.
Two pieces equal in uniqueness and quality, Nankilslas (He Whose Voice is Obeyed) - a red cedar mask - and Scaana (Killer Whale) - a red cedar panel - showcase the range and depth of Corey's skill in carving, painting, and storytelling.
Nankilslas (He Whose Voice is Obeyed)
This red cedar mask with horsehair and feathers represents Raven in human form as he appeared when he and galaga snaanga (Fungus Man) travelled to ṯsaw gwaayaay to help Haida women obtain their tsaw (genitalia).
When asked for help by the Haida women, Raven attempted to paddle to ṯsaw gwaayaay but was unable to overcome the powerful spiritual barriers that surround the island. He recruited three different crew members but they were all overcome by the power of ṯsaw gwaayaay. Eventually, Raven asked galaga snaanga for help. Wedging him astern, Raven made sure galaga snaanga could not fall out of the canoe when influenced by the power of ṯsaw gwaayaay. In this team effort, they made it ashore and were able to gather some tsaw to take back to the Haida women.
The representation of Raven in this mask bears a close resemblance to the representation of this story on an argillite plate carved by Corey's great-great grandfather, the renowned Haida artist Charles Edenshaw.
Scaana (Killerwhale)
This red cedar panel displays the same level of craftsmanship with a brighter and more contemporary aesthetic. This half-carved, half-painted panel representing an Orca uses the split in the design to display a dorsal fin with the quintessential curve of the Killerwhale's fin. With bright blue colours, strong formline, and smooth knifing, this piece stands out against any backdrop.
Corey Bulpitt is an artist from the Haida Na7ikun-Raven Clan and holds the name T’aak’eit G’aayaa, meaning “gifted carver.” The great-great-grandson of renowned artists Charles Edenshaaw and Louis Collison, he apprenticed under master carver Christian White and has worked with Dempsey Bob, Joe David, Jim Hart and Beau Dick, among others. Corey is known internationally for his fusion of hip hop culture and Haida traditional style in large-scale spray painted pieces, creating work for the National Gallery of Canada, Facebook Head Office in Seattle, and the Vancouver Mural Festival. Working with media as diverse as wood, argillite, gold, silver, glass, textiles, spray paint, and traditional Kiida (hand-poke) tattooing, Corey has steeped himself in the traditional work of his ancestors, forming a foundation for his distinctive contemporary style.
]]>This composition represents the ‘Txa'msem Brings Fire’ story. This is an origin story that tells of how in the beginning, much of mankind lacked fire. Communities would freeze in the winter without it, and it was difficult for families to cook and prepare food. Txa'msem (Ts'msyen for Raven in Human Form, the cultural hero) remembered seeing a village that always had a large fire in their longhouse during his travels. Due to the fact that the fire was so far away, Txa'msem used his shape-shifting abilities to transform into several other animals that would be faster than he in his current form. Through great effort – including the use of Shark’s supernatural canoe and Deer’s speed and agility – Txa'msem brought a firebrand back to the Tsimshian people, lit a Fir tree with it, and stated “This shall burn as long as the years last”. This composition depicts Txa'msyen in his deer disguise (the top figure) with flames surrounding his body (the abstract formline patterns wrapping around him). The clients liked how this story spoke to making sacrifices for future generations, and they gave the go-ahead to Phil:
Phil worked on this piece throughout the summer. Unlike a typical totem, with crest figures stacked on top of one another, this piece essentially portrayed a single figure. It really resembled a massive sculpture rather than a totem pole, and there were many challenges in creating such a monumental piece from a single cedar log. Phil used a variety of finishing textures and differing depths to convey the various elements (the fire, the deer fur, the human elements) present in the pole.
Our clients came to take the pole home in October, 2017. They had a place in mind for it when they got home and were kind enough to send us some pictures of it in situ. Most custom orders for Phil take between 4-6 months. Please inquire with Lattimer Gallery for custom order requests.
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- Culture Days is a collaborative, Canada-wide celebration of the Arts in Canada. It runs between Sept 29th to Oct 1st and events taking place in the Lower Mainland are listed on the official website: https://bc.culturedays.ca. Vancouver International Airport and Lattimer Gallery YVR will be participating on September 29th between 10am-2pm.
- The Vancouver Art Gallery has hired its first ever Senior Curatorial Fellow in Indigenous Art. Tarah Hogue was born in Alberta and holds a Bachelor of Art History from Queen’s University as well as a Master of Art History degree in Critical Curatorial Studies from UBC. She was curator at the Grunt Gallery between 2014-2017.
- Join tens of thousands of Vancouverites to walk together for reconciliation on September 24th. This walk has been conceived as a healing tool among Indigenous peoples and all Canadians.