Northwest Coast Native Art

NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART
(FEATURED ARTISTS)

COREY BULPITT
Haida

T’aak’eit Gaayaa, the Haida name given to Corey Bulpitt, translates to "gifted carver." Born October 24th, 1978 in Prince Rupert British Columbia, his lineage is Naikun Qiighawaay from Rose Spit. He is from the Raven clan, one of two distinct matrilineal moieties of the Haida, the other being the Eagle clan.

Corey is a descendant of many great Haida carvers, including Louis Collison, John Robson and Charles Edenshaw. His mother Maxine Edgars from Massett is an exceptional weaver and his father Monte Stewart Burton is a fisherman and carver of gold and silver.
Sculpting and drawing from a young age while growing up in the Lower Mainland, Corey went on to graduate from the Langley Fine Arts School in 1996. He returned to his ancestral home of Haida Gwaii in 1999 to apprentice with his uncle, the master carver and artist Christian White. There he created masks, paddles and dance screens for the Massett and Skidegate dance groups as well as many steamed and painted bentwood boxes used for repatriation ceremonies. Corey has also worked with notable Haida carver Jim Hart and artist Sharon Hitchcock.

In 2012, Corey was featured in the travelling exhibition Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery. In 2014, his successful solo show AKOS, which highlighted his background as a graffiti artist, was exhibited at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver, BC. Corey is inspired by old pieces created by great Haida artists and other West Coast artists.

Corey Bulpitt, Raven, Graffiti Painting, Palos Verdes Art Center, September 2017

Corey Bulpitt, Articulated Heron, Dance at the Museum of Vancouver, March 2018. Video by Maynard Johnny Jr.

KLATLE-BHI
Kwakwaka'wakw - Coast Salish

Klatle-Bhi began his career by studying the works of his ancestors showcased in museums and galleries. He apprenticed with master carver Simon Dick for two years and credits a large part of his success to this opportunity. Klatle-Bhi has also worked with artists Beau Dick, Wayne Alfred, Wade Baker and Rick Harry, taking influence on their understanding of native art and culture.

He comes from a very traditionally rooted family where Squamish and Kwakwaka’wakw cultures are a large part of everyday life. Aside from his artwork, Klatle-Bhi aspires to maintain the languages, dances and songs of his ancestors.

STEVE SMITH
Kwakwaka'wakw

Steve Smith has been carving and painting since 1987. Initially taught by his father Harris Smith, in the Kwakwaka'wakw style, Steve has since developed his own distinct and innovative style. Steve's pieces include original paintings, sculptures, masks, limited edition prints, etched glass, totem poles and drums. His cutting edge work has been featured in several major exhibitions throughout North America, and has been purchased by collectors around the world.

In 2005, Steve was featured in the 'Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2' exhibition that opened at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. In 2006, Steve created two public works for the City of Vancouver's 'Spirit Bears in the City' project. In 2007, his work was included in the Burke Museum's 'In the Spirit of Our Ancestors' exhibition, in Seattle. In 2008, Steve received two major commissions for works to be placed in the Vancouver International Airport. These monumental installations were completed in June 2009. Also in 2009, Steve was included in the 'Challenging Traditions' exhibition at Ontario's McMichael Gallery, a show that was dedicated to exploring innovative and experimental works from the Northwest Coast. Steve's work is continually evolving and he is always experimenting with form, colour and symbolism.
Steve resides in Vancouver, BC with his wife and daughter.

BEAU DICK
Kwakwaka'wakw (1955-2017)

Beau was one of the most creative and versatile Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw carvers of his generation. He was renowned for his mask carving as well as his contributions to the rebuilding of the present ‘Na̱mg̱is (Alert Bay) Big House.

Beau worked in many mediums and created works in many other Northwest Coast art styles. He was especially fond of the Tłingit style from Alaska due to their connection to his northern relatives. Beau was also a skilled artist in naturalistic art and portraits; he has carved many life-like carvings to represent certain nobility, whom are the center of theatrics during sacred Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw Winter Ceremonies.

Beau was an important contributor to the preservation of Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw art and culture. Many of his pieces represent ancient legends and serve to relay traditional stories into the present. As a historian and storyteller, Beau loved to share his knowledge with both native and non-native communities alike. While continuing to create works of his own, he assisted and mentored younger, up and coming artists, contributing to their artistic success. He was a well-respected Chief and upheld his name and status by giving Potlatches. Beau was also an initiated Hamat̕sa (Cannibal Dancer), the highest-ranking secret society of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw.

Beau was involved in numerous solo exhibits and his work can be found in both private collections and public museums worldwide. One of his most well-known works is a transformation mask made for Expo ‘86, which is now in the Canadian Museum of Civilization, in Hull, Quebec. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia also houses a large collection of Beau's work. He most recently contributed over twenty masks to documenta 14, one of the most significant events for the contemporary art world which features artists from around the globe. Sadly, Beau passed away one week before the exhibition's opening in Athens in April 2017.

ROBERT DAVIDSON
Haida

Robert Davidson is one of Canada’s most respected contemporary artists. A Northwest Coast native of Haida descent, he is a mast carver of totem poles and masks, and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painter and jeweller. He is widely recognized for bringing Haida art to a worldwide audience. Robert is best known as an impeccable craftsman whose creative and personal interpretations of traditional Haida forms is unparalleled.

Robert Charles Davidson was born November 4, 1946 in Hydaburg Alaska. His Haida name is Guud San Glans which translates to "Eagle of The Dawn." He moved with his family to Massett on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) in 1947 and lived there until 1965 when he moved to Vancouver to complete his education at Point Grey Secondary School. It was here that he first learned the fundamentals of silk-screening. In 1966 he met Bill Reid and soon after, began an eighteen-month apprenticeship that launched his career as an artist. Through Reid, he met anthropologist Wilson Duff, artist Bill Holm and learned much about the Haida people and their art. In 1967 he enrolled in the Vancouver School of Art, a place he credits for developing his drawing and design skills.
Robert was surrounded by fine carving from an early age as both his father, Claude Davidson, and grandfather, Robert Davidson Sr., were respected carvers in Massett. Further, his great-grandfather was the famed Haida carver Charles Edenshaw. He began carving at the age of 13 when his father insisted he carry on the family's artistic tradition. Since that time, he has continued to explore the carved form in a variety of traditional and non-traditional media, including bronze. He is now the consummate Haida artist whose strong rhythms and personal style are recognizable and sought the world over.

For more that thirty years, Robert has produced an internationally acclaimed body of work. His work is found in a number of important private and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec, the Southwest Museum on Los Angeles and Artists for Kids Gallery in North Vancouver.

Robert has also received many honours for his accomplishments. In addition to the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada, he has been awarded the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for his contribution to First Nations art and culture. He holds honorary degrees from the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. He has received the Order of British Columbia and in 1996 was awarded the prestigious Order of Canada.

Robert Davidson, Green, Hand Carved Red Cedar with Acrylic, 2002, $80,000.

The masterfully carved and painted piece Green is an abstract, minimalist piece carved in low relief. The modern composition represents a feathered creature with split forms, perhaps an eagle or raven. However, the work's ambiguity allows the viewer to complete the geometric narrative for themselves. The prerogative claim of allowing the viewer to complete the visual meaning is what makes this work open and accessible to all. As with most of Davidson's work, one can simply enjoy Green's balanced image.

Exhibited in the Museum of Anthropology's touring exhibition Robert Davidson: The Abstract Edge (2004). For more information, view the exhibition catalogue by Karen Duffek.

Robert Davidson, Chief of the Underworld, Serigraph Print, ed. 48/50, 49/50, 2006.

"I’m very excited to portray the killer whale, the Chief of the Underworld, in his supernatural state. When we visit killer whales in their world, we see them as humans. When we see them in our world, we see them with their cloaks on - as animals. So, here we have the chief of the underworld exposed as a human being. Clearly represented are human facial features, such as the mouth, nose and eyes. On the human’s head where the hair would be is an abstract representation of the killer whale’s tail fin. The ovoid form at the top right hand corner of the print represents the joint in the tail." - Robert Davidson

Robert Davidson, Dogfish, Bronze, ed. 1/1. $ 200,000

In early times the dogfish crest was applied to a wide range of utilitarian items as well as ceremonial clothing and regalia. The labret, a lip ornament, is sometimes shown in a dogfish design to indicate that the fish is a woman. In the north, this representation is a reminder of the woman who was carried off by a dogfish and became one of its kind.

The dogfish is identified as always having a high doomed head, a down-turned mouth - usually with sharp pointed teeth - and gill slits on each side of the mouth.
- in Hilary Stewart in "Looking at Totem Poles"

Robert Davidson, Dance Mask, Paper Mache, Acrylic Paint, Operculum Shell, Cedar Bark, Hair, ed. 6/6, AP, 1992.

Robert Davidson created several masks worn by his Rainbow Dancers for the opening ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on the arrival of Bill Reid Canoe.

Robert Davidson created 6 editions of this mask. He kept the 6th mask for his personal collection, and sold the first 5 to the Inuit Gallery in Vancouver, B.C. Now, the 6th mask from Davidson's private collection is available at Eagle Spirit Gallery.

Robert Davidson, Sea Bear Bracelet, Sterling Silver, 1970.

JORDON SEAWARD
Haida

Jordon Seward is a Haida / Squamish artist that began carving at the age of 15. He learned Coast Salish design and the fundamentals of carving at a very early age from his father and grandfather, Ted and Thomas Seward.

Simon Dick was an instrumental teacher for Jordon in his early twenties, showing him how to create the elegant and refined masks of the Northwest Coast. Jordon has also been a part of Simon Dick’s Atlkum dancers, and was also a singer, drummer and dancer in Robert Davidson’s Rainbow Creek dancers for many years. He is currently a drummer and singer for Christian White’s Tluu Xaada Naay dancers from Old Massett, Haida Gwaii. His carving and singing ability has brought him to many places nationally, internationally and abroad. His favorite performances are for his own people at the feasts and potlatches of the Haida and Squamish Nations.

Some of his carving demonstrations included the Burke Museum-Seattle, Canada Pavilion-Vancouver, Parliament Hill-Ottawa, Holm, and Orkney Islands- Scotland. So far in his career he has created totem poles, masks, panels, rattles, pendants, paddles, bentwood boxes, miniatures and canoes. He uses various mediums such as wood, argillite and metals. His art has been in exhibitions and private collections, both nationally and internationally.

Jordon’s culture is extremely important to him. Some of his carvings have everyday use and some have sacred meaning and purpose but they all have a story or cultural significance. Jordon is not only a carver and singer but also is learning the Haida language, Xaad Kil, from master speaker/elder Stephen Brown. Jordon believes we, as Haida people, must learn from the fluent elders while they can teach and correct our attempts. Learning the language is just as important to him as learning the many languages of the art form.

Jordon’s innate artistic ability with the Haida art form may be from his ancestral roots of Edenshaw lineage. He is one of the descendants of the great Albert Edward Edenshaw and Charles Edenshaw, whom created some of the finest work known among the North Coast. He belongs to the Sta’stas Eagle clan of Kiusta, Haida Gwaii.

TREVOR HUNT
Kwakwaka'wakw

Artist Trevor Hunt was born in 1975 into a family of carvers in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Under the guidance of his father Stanely Clifford Hunt and his cousins Tim Alfred and David Knox, Tony learned the traditional art of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation.

At the young age of 13, Trevor began creating and selling original paintings before learning the intricate skills of carving from his elders. The artist has not stopped carving since and has created a prolific body of work ranging from panels and totem poles, to prints. In fact, Trevor has released an original print since 1993, when he completed his first set of prints.

Trevor’s attention to detail in honour of his ancestry is seen in everything he creates; from the elegant curves of his traditional ovoid forms, to the way he animates his subjects with clean, painted elements. However, Trevor is continuously searching to push and stretch the traditional Kwakwaka’wakw art form and has most recently done so by creating sandblasted cedar panels.

Trevor’s innovation in sandblasting demonstrates the excitement and freshness in Kwakwaka’wakw art without a loss of tradition. He aims to share his love of art and the strength of his culture with youth and does so by teaching the children of Waggles School in Fort Rupert and Fort Rupert Elementary. The school now uses a drum design by Trevor as their logo.

JAY SIMEON
Haida

Jay Simeon (b. July 27, 1976) is a Canadian artist of Haida heritage. He was born into the Kaawaas branch of the Sdast’a.aas Eagle clan. His crests are Eagle, Supernatural Killer Whale, Frog, Beaver, and Raven.

Jay has been practicing Haida art since the age of 14, finding his passion while studying the fundamentals of Haida design with his aunt, Sharon Hitchcock.

Jay completed an advanced design course at Vancouver Community College and studied advanced design with Robert Davidson at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Center. He has been included in every major gallery exhibit featuring Haida artworks held since 2003 at leading galleries in Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA. His art spans a variety of media including wood, argillite, silver, gold and silkscreen prints.

Especially of note, Jay’s work has been featured in the exhibition Raven Travelling at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2006, the largest Haida exhibition in recent years. His work is also in the permanent collection of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA. His most recent creation of note being a grand piano painted with one of his designs, especially for the Olympics; the paint used was infused with the dust of argillite from Haida Gwaii.