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Roy Henry Vickers is a celebrated Tsimshian artist known for his prints and carvings. While perhaps best known for his stunning works depicting the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, Roy is also an adept designer of classic Northwest Coast formline as is on display in much of his early work from the 1970s. This print, Natl (Whales) from 1976, illustrates beautifully the general aesthetic of the time with its bold, purposeful red-and-black formline and traditional subject matter. Natl depicts two breaching Killerwhales within a large ovoid structure. Human figures nest within the Whales' fins and bodies, signifying ancestral connection. Our...

Ee-ish-soo-ilth is a print from famed Hupačasath Nuu-chah-nulth researcher, educator, and artist ḥaa'yuups Ron Hamilton. It is an early work from Ron, and among the first Nuu-chah-nulth printed works. Ee-ish-soo-ilth measures 11 1/2" x 12 1/4", and is from a limited run of 120 printed circa 1973. Ee-ish-soo-ilth, or Gum Woman, is a fable told to Nuu-chah-nulth children to instill discipline. It warns of a monstrous witch of the woods who captures and eats children, similar to the Kwakwaka'wakw myth of Dzunukwa (Basket Woman). The story also stresses to adult community members the importance of caring for children -- if...

Art Thompson was one of the 20th Century's preeminent Nuu-chah-nulth artists, and in part responsible for the conception and popularity of Nuu-chah-nulth print work. Art had an incredible and distinct style: a marriage of traditional Nuu-chah-nulth and Coast Salish form and subject with modern technique and design sensibility, which has allowed his work to endure not only in its visual brilliance, but also cultural and spiritual significance.  Art was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 54, and passed away only four months later in March, 2003. In this relatively short frame of time, Art designed, printed, and signed this silkscreen, In...

Margaret August is a Two-Spirit, Coast Salish artist from Shíshálh Nation, born in 1983 in traditional unceded Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territories (Victoria, BC). Their work, often featuring beautiful, flowing forms, pastel colours, and symmetrical designs, furthers the concepts explored by renowned Coast Salish artists such as Susan Point and LessLIE. "Divine Momentum is inspired by a stone spindle whorl artifact. Spindle whorls were traditionally used for spinning fibres for the sole purpose of making textiles. This contemporary design symbolizes the revival of ancient Coast Salish practices and the continuation of our cultures." -Margaret August The spindle whorl is one of the most...

Portrait of an Eagle Transforming is a prime example of Robert Davidson's ultra-modern, abstract take on traditional Haida design forms. This print depicts an Eagle (Davidson's family crest) appearing to melt and transform into a human figure which encircles it. Davidson had this to say about his inspiration for and intention with the print: "I was invited to participate in the 1989 mask exhibition at the Inuit Gallery and had the large 'Salmon Mask', which I had decided to retain for the feast Every Year the Salmon Come Back and for the permanent regalia of the Rainbow Creek Dancers. The...