Northwest coast INDIGENOUS art

by Mike Bellis, haida nation

I have found a passion for carving that’s in my DNA, and the legacy of my ancestors is a fire within that fuels my creativity. Summers spent in Haida Gwaii as a child exposed me to the carving tradition within my family, but I did not pick up a chisel until well into adulthood. My first carving was a 7ft pole, Family, that I crafted as a gift for my wife. That I possessed the skills to create a totem pole was as surprising to me as anyone! Since then I’ve honed my skills creating a variety of traditional and contemporary artworks, including panels, sculptures, paddles, canoes, and totem poles.

I am grateful for the knowledge passed on to me by my father, my cousins, and other master carvers that I’ve spent time with. I am committed to learning and evolving as a Haida artist, interpreting the natural world around me through cedar and formline.

Haw’aa

Northwest Coast INDIGENOUS Art

Mike Bellis, haida nation

I have found a passion for carving that’s in my DNA, and the legacy of my ancestors is a fire within that fuels my creativity. Summers spent in Haida Gwaii as a child exposed me to the carving tradition within my family, but I did not pick up a chisel until well into adulthood. My first carving was a 7ft pole, Family, that I crafted as a gift for my wife. That I possessed the skills to create a totem pole was as surprising to me as anyone! Since then I’ve honed my skills creating a variety of traditional and contemporary artworks, including panels, sculptures, paddles, canoes, and totem poles. I am grateful for the knowledge passed on to me by my father, my cousins, and other master carvers that I’ve spent time with. I am committed to learning and evolving as a Haida artist, interpreting the natural world around me through cedar and formline.

Haw’aa