g̱a̱lts'ap - Limited Edition Print
g̱a̱lts'ap - Limited Edition Print
30" x 30"
Edition of 70
"g̱a̱lts'ap
g̱a̱l = container for
ts'ap = people/tribe
The main figure is of a mother wolf with a cub at her feet and another still in her womb.
I liked the idea of wolves for this concept because of their tight community based society.
In my experience, women have always been the ones to step up and ensure that our community could be a safe place. They also lead the way by ensuring that we have a future to look forward to through land and water protection. In Ts’msyen society, rights flow through the women. My sister and myself are Ts'msyen because our mother is Ts'msyen, but my sister will be the only one to pass along those rights to our next generation.
Above all of that, hanaa'nax(women) have the capacity to be the embodiment of community through their ability to bring life into this world." -Phil Gray
Phil Gray
CULTURAL GROUP:
Ts'msyen/Cree
BORN:
March 15, 1983
BIRTHPLACE:
Vancouver, BC
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.
