Gwaai Edenshaw Overseas

Throughout the month of September, Gwaai Edenshaw was artist in residence at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England. Gwaai and his brother Jaalen were at the Pitt Rivers to study a large nineteenth-century bentwood Haida chest that the museum has had in its collection for many decades. This chest is considered to be one of the best examples of early Haida formline, so Gwaai and his brother were there to both study the piece and to create a replica box. This replica is set to come to British Columbia, so future artists and fans of Northwest Coast art can admire this complex work.

Gwaai and Jaalen at the Pitt Rivers Museum

Gwaai said the following about this great Haida masterwork: "Boxes are a good study of Haida formline. They follow a certain set of conventions and they can easily be compared. It is clear that the artist was a true master, exceptionally well versed in in the form. This single box has many innovations that we thought belonged to our modern day greats - an exciting, and humbling discovery. In addition, there are deviations from the norm contained in the form line."

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.

Copper in Northwest Coast Native Art

Copper artwork and jewellery are becoming more common in the Northwest Coast market, which is a bit of a strange trend when considering that copper was the only metal quarried and processed by the First Nations in British Columbia prior to European contact. Long valued as a symbol of status and wealth, copper was frequently beaten into large panels, or shields, which were passed down from generation to generation. These shields were (and still are) aptly named "coppers". The bentwood box depicted in the image to the right, by Haida-Tsimshian artist Marie Oldfield, has been adorned with abalone cut-outs of these coppers. The box itself, titled Give Away, has also been embellished with copper paint and symbolizes the valued role of both boxes and copper in the Northwest Coast potlatch. This steam-bent box measures 6 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" and is available for $900.00 CAD.

 
A number of jewelers are also beginning to use copper more often. It is a soft metal, but this makes it slightly more challenging to engrave cleanly, when compared to sterling silver or gold. From cuff bracelets to earrings, Lattimer Gallery always strives to carry a selection of copper items to compliment our broad range of gold and silver pieces. The image to the left shows a pair of embossed copper dangle earrings by Haida artist, Gwaai Edenshaw. Measuring 2 5/8" long and 1/2" wide, these elegant Sinx earrings are available from Lattimer Gallery for $120.00 CAD. Copper is durable, warm in colour, and has been proven to carry certain health benefits.

Gwaai Edenshaw: Sounds Good on Paper

We featured Gwaai Edenshaw's newest jewellery line, Naxiin, in our Spring 2012 Newsletter. Currently this young Haida artist is having his first solo exhibition, Sounds Good on Paper, on display at Petley Jones Gallery. The show is composed of a variety of his framed sketches, in both black-and-white and color, as well as a paper cast sculpture and select pieces of gold cast jewellery. Also included in the exhibit are preliminary sketches of the totem pole he carved with his brother Jaalen, which is now on display in Jasper National Park, Alberta.

The exhibit will be on display until April 21, 2012.

Image: Gwaai Edenshaw, One Monster for Another.
Photo Credit: Rod Serrat-Cave, Petley Jones Gallery

Spring 2012 Newsletter

Our Spring 2012 Newsletter is now available. Inside, we feature Haida artist Gwaai Edenshaw's newest collection, Naxiin, from his unique jewellery line, Regalia. We also list the final winning bids from our 2011 Annual Charity Bentwood Box event and you'll find information about KESU', an exhibit featuring the art and life of Kwakwaka'wakw artist Doug Cranmer at UBC's Museum of Anthropology. We are also pleased to announce our upcoming exhibition on June 16th which will showcase the painted works of various Northwest Coast artists. Take a look at our notables for some interesting new pieces here at the gallery!