HIM by Gwagwadaxla

Event Description

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.