Christian White

CULTURAL GROUP:
Haida

BORN:
July 17, 1962

BIRTHPLACE:
Queen Charlotte City, Haida Gwaii

Christian White is part of the Raven clan, and was born in Queen Charlotte City, but grew up in Old Masset. He is perhaps best known for his meticulous argillite carvings, and many of his creations contain difficult inlay work. Christian also creates original paintings, wood carvings, jewellery, and totem poles. He began creating art and carving argillite at age fourteen, and has been working as a full-time artist since the age of seventeen. He has constructed a major longhouse in his home village of Old Masset, and has always been involved is his community and culture. Christian is a member of the Masset Repatriation Committee. He and his father, Morris White, have been acknowledged as being major forces in reviving the arts of pole carving and canoe building within Old Masset. Early highlights of his career included the creation of a 35-foot pole with his father, and the carving of a sculpture entitled Raven Dancer, which was purchased by the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC, when Christian was only 22 years old. In 2005, Christian was featured in the comprehensive Totems to Turquoise exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, NY. In 2007, Christian won a British Columbia Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art. The government of BC selected Christian for both his significant contributions to Northwest Coast art and for his commitment to Haida history and culture.