Barnacles to Butterflies: Unusual Imagery in NWC Silver Jewellery

Image: Kelvin Thompson, sterling silver + 14k yellow gold bracelet, Crabs, 1 3/8" x 6", $2,400.00

The online preview for Barnacles to Butterflies is now available on our website.

We are very excited to show our audience the diverse range of unusual designs that Northwest Coast artists have applied to sterling silver jewellery. While much of the imagery within silver jewellery created by British Columbia's First Nations engravers is based on family crest symbols, artists from the pacific Northwest have a long history of using their surroundings as inspiration. From Kelvin Thompson's spectacular Crabs bracelet to Clint Work's playful  Sea Urchin earrings to Dean Hunt's abstract Mushroom pendant, these Northwest Coast artists have created a selection of imaginative pieces that are really quite unusual.

Featured artists include Harold Alfred (Kwakwaka'wakw), Gwaai Edenshaw (Haida), Dean Hunt (Heiltsuk), Sharifah Marsden (Ojibwa), Carrie Matilpi (Kwakwaka'wakw/Carrier/Cree), Jeff Pat (Coast Salish), Justin Rivard (Cree), Kelvin Thompson (Ojibwa/Saulteaux/Haisla), Sonia Triebwasser (Kwakwaka'wakw), Barry Wilson (Haisla), Derek Wilson (Haisla), Dan Wallace (Kwakwaka'wakw/Haida) and Clinton Work (Kwakwaka'wakw).

Barnacles to Butterflies will be on display at the gallery from September 22nd - October 13th, 2012. We welcome you to join us at our opening reception on Saturday, September 22nd from 3-5pm.