From the vision of a fortune teller came a story; one that told a gripping tale about my mother towering over the city of Tkaronto, a giant in her leather boots with a mighty Kwakwaka'wakw strut. Dazzled by the imagery, I drew forms and lines until that story came to life. Krystal, 2023, was the first drawing I felt was a “piece”. In it, my mother did walk atop the skyscrapers, except I couldn’t help but feel that the figure I drew had a life of its own. When that character showed up again, and again, and then again in my work, I finally realized it was no mistake when I kept accidentally addressing this entity as HIM. Gwagwadaxla is a contemporary Kwakwaka'wakw and lək ̓ ʷəŋən artist, with ties specifically to the 'Na̱mg̱is and Songhees nations. Living on lək ̓ ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, Gwagwadaxla is inspired by the land to tell stories. While sometimes the stories emerge as “art” in the contemporary context, these legends are the living truth of his people; this cultural magic is a lifeforce in Gwagwadaxla’s art, and will guide him for the rest of time. read more...

From the vision of a fortune teller came a story; one that told a gripping tale about my mother towering over the city of Tkaronto, a giant in her leather boots with a mighty Kwakwaka'wakw strut. Dazzled by the imagery, I drew forms and lines until that story came to life. Krystal, 2023, was the first drawing I felt was a “piece”. In it, my mother did walk atop the skyscrapers, except I couldn’t help but feel that the figure I drew had a life of its own. When that character showed up again, and again, and then again in my work, I finally realized it was no mistake when I kept accidentally addressing this entity as HIM. Gwagwadaxla is a contemporary Kwakwaka'wakw and lək ̓ ʷəŋən artist, with ties specifically to the 'Na̱mg̱is and Songhees nations. Living on lək ̓ ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, Gwagwadaxla is inspired by the land to tell stories. While sometimes the stories emerge as “art” in the contemporary context, these legends are the living truth of his people; this cultural magic is a lifeforce in Gwagwadaxla’s art, and will guide him for the rest of time. read more...