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BASED IN THE HEART OF HAIDA GWAII SINCE 1984
Haida art is more than just decoration; it is the visual language of the Haida Nation, emerging directly from the land, culture, and ancestral home of Haida Gwaii. At its foundation is formline, a sophisticated design system Robert Davidson describes as an alphabet used to communicate, document, and share stories across generations. This ancient art form is seamlessly integrated into daily life, transforming functional objects like bentwood boxes and totem poles into powerful mediums for representing lineage, history, and spiritual encounters. Rooted in traditional mastery, contemporary Haida artists continue to evolve this profound visual language by incorporating new mediums and sharing timely messages of cultural values, social awareness, and modern aesthetics.
Haida Art is the art form of artists from the Haida Nation, whose ancestral homeland encompasses the land and waters of Haida Gwaii, located of the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. To understand Haida art is to understand the land, community, culture and values that emerged from the homelands of Haida Gwaii. Today there are great efforts continuing by the Haida Nation and allies to support the continued care and stewardship of Haida Gwaii.
The Haida have stewarded the lands here since time immemorial, evidenced through Haida oral histories that recount the times of the volcanics, the ice age, and many other historical and natural events that took place in this part of the world. Each year, modern science continues to validate this past and give even more context to traditional Haida knowledge and ways of knowing, dating back to the presence of culture and communities many thousands of years ago. Today, great efforts continue by the Haida and communities of Haida Gwaii to steward the land and preserve it for future generations to come.
Since time immemorial, Haida formline, which is the design structure of the Haida, has captivated the imagination of Haida artists and made a distinct impression on those who have encountered this system of design.
In his book from 2022, Echoes of the Supernatural, Robert Davidson describes Haida formline as a language, and each component of formline as letters in the alphabet. In this way, formline can be understood as the visual representation of the Haida language, used to communicate, document, and tell stories - both from the past and present. Within Haida formline Davidson denotes four main design elements, being the tri-neg (t-shape), ovoid, split-u, and s-shape. These shapes, the main building blocks of Haida formline, can all be present in a singular design, but sometimes not all elements appear as well.
It's said that a Haida artist must practice formline shapes for over 10,000 hours to get to the next level of their artistic journey. Although the shapes can be individually identified and have names, focusing on their individual shapes alone would miss their true purpose, which is to work together in unison to create flow, balance. Similarly following the golden ratio in design, together these shapes create the perfect visual image, often only accomplished by those who with an advanced command of the art.
It's said that when looking at Haida formline art, if the eye naturally flows around the whole artwork, the design flow of formline has been accomplished. Formline is often referred to as a 2-dimensional art form, however, its end result, to create flow and balance, is similarly applied to 3-dimensional carvings and design.
It's said that within the Haida language there isn’t a specific word for art, as art is a medium for visually representing language, and in this way, ‘art’ is all-encompassing and shows up in all aspects of daily life. This sentiment can be similarly echoed in many Northwest Coast cultures, where art was both functional as a medium for communication and was often applied to items that had practical uses. For example, a totem pole, the crests and designs used were for a purpose, to tell a story about a person, their crests, or a clan, a way to document knowledge and history. Similar to paddles, bentwood boxes, masks, etc., each with designs that had a message and function related to the use of that item or its owner.
Haida art, used as a medium for storytelling, can describe a story, past or present, an experience with a supernatural being. It is also used to describe Haida family lineages, such as individual crests and clan structures. There are many well-known Haida supernatural stories, such as "Boy Riding Killerwhale," "Raven Steals the Light," "Raven and the First People," and "Fungus Man," among others, that surface in artists’ works.
Traditionally, or in the past, common mediums of Haida art corresponded to the materials that were readily available.
Abundant on Haida Gwaii, cedar trees were the perfect medium for the Haida, used for everything from building longhouses and weaving to crafting bentwood boxes.
Argillite, a carbonaceous slate, found on one specific mountain top on Haida Gwaii, is also a material that Haida artists have coveted. The elaborate argillite carvings of the Haida are considered one of the most distinctive and sought-after carvings from the Northwest Coast.
Metal jewelry engraving emerged out of a time of resistance. In the past, tattooing was commonplace as a way for people to show their crests, clan and family affiliations. As the practice of culture was outlawed in the dark period, everything from potlatching to speaking Haida language, along with tattooing, was deemed illegal. As an act of resistance, Haida artists found a way to continue the representation of crests and clans, having them engraved on metal jewelry, such as large bracelets, a way to continue the practice of tattooing, using a new medium, within the rigid rules put forth by the Canadian government during that period.
Today, Haida art, like the art of all cultures, continues to evolve and adapt to new materials, technologies, and ideas. Yet, still rooted in the design fundamentals from which formline was born. Some more recent mediums of the Haida art form include the use of all metals, from gold, silver, and copper jewelry to casting at small and large scales, 3D printing, sandblasting, digital design, and glass. Additionally, the application of Haida art continues to grow, with its use expanding to include interior design, architecture, books, filmmaking, music, and the performing arts.
Our Gallery believes contemporary art is the most exciting field of Haida and northwest coast art. Today, Haida artists of our time are using their art to share stories of the present. These stories, rooted in the Haida cultural values of respect for all beings, ask permission first, making it right, and everything depends on everything else, as well as furthering the discourse of current social, political, and global trends, are great teachers and come with messages that are so pertinent where so many are looking for deeper meaning, understanding, and a place to point our moral compass.
Besides the deep meanings, lessons, and reminders that Haida art and artists so satisfyingly share, contemporary aesthetics pushed by these artists continue to both challenge and introduce us to experiencing theis art form in new ways. This evolution is led by artists like Robert Davidson, widely deemed one of Canada’s greatest. His work occupies the space of abstraction and modernism, offering a new lens for viewing the world. Other artists, such as Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, blend Chinese painting techniques to create the unique style of ‘Haida Manga,’ while mid-career artist Cori Savard (mentored by Reg Davidson) takes on contemporary forms, colors, and meanings with adventurous ease.
We look forward to seeing how this space emerges and look forward to continuing to share these meaningful works of art with you.
References:
Echoes of the Supernatural: The Graphic Art of Robert Davidson, 2022, Gary Wyatt, Karen Duffek, and Robert Davidson.
