Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
New Works
​November 5 - 18, 2022 
Opening November 5, 1:00-3:00. Artist in Attendance 

Detail: Diction of Dreams by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, 36x24 in, collage, mixed media on canvas, 2021

​Superlatives abound when describing multi-media artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. In his home community of Haida Gwaii, he was active in the protection of land that forged Gwaii Haansas National Park in 1993. Over the past two decades, his artworks have toured the world in solo shows, and been collected by major international museums and galleries.​ Environmental concerns and cultural identity propel the art practice of this conceptual artist. His extensive portfolio expands from small drawings to large scale installations and public sculptures. Irreverent, rambunctious, morphing creatures ignite the unfolding stories in his Haida Manga artform. This form merges North Pacific Indigenous iconographies with Asian influences in a graphic novel format. “Any surface I see can be a visual ground for my imagination,” he says.

Yahgulanaas looks forward to attending the Opening of his solo show at Madrona Gallery. “I have many friends in Victoria,” he says, “from my time teaching at the University of Victoria and working with Pacific Opera.” The exhibition features 15 recent artworks in a variety of sizes, mediums and styles. There are mixed-media works with lively grounds collaged from antique maps and vintage catalogues. Big Oil was the artist’s first major oil painting and took several years to complete. Over six feet tall, the painting conveys the tumultuous collision of ocean water with linear pipe-like structures and detritus. The exhibition also includes four impressive Coppers from the Hood.

Resting Season, 32x55 in, auto hood, platinum leaf, acrylic, 2022

The series Coppers from the Hood was inaugurated in 2007 at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. The artist uses factory-fresh car hoods that are dipped in copper or silver leaf to create a reflective surface. A combination of calligraphic dancing linework and Haida motifs enhance the surfaces. Smaller, but equally evocative, are three fuel tank caps that are copper-dipped and painted, then signed and dated on the back. For the artist, these aerodynamic objects can be appreciated for their sleek economy of design and efficiency, much like a traditional canoe. “The reflective surface invites the viewer into a deeper realm that acts as a doorway to discovery and adventure,” he says.

Indigenous communities in the North Pacific use metal shields called Coppers to define and distribute social status and wealth. In North America, vehicles deliver a multi-layered statement on status and potency by alluding to “what’s under the hood”. Another “hood” question for Canadians involves who actually owns the neighbourhoods we occupy. In all his art communications, Yahgulanaas requires the viewer’s close attention to decipher the multi-layered implications.

Hummingbird Hood, 32x55 in, auto hood, copper leaf, acrylic, 2022

Hummingbird Hood has an interesting connection to local audiences and Pacific Opera Victoria. The story, written by Yahgulanaas in 2015, was co-produced by Pacific Opera and Vancouver Opera in 2019. Flight of the Hummingbird tells the charming tale of a small bird’s bravery in the face of grave danger. Glynis Leyshon, Stage Director at Pacific Opera remembers: “Early 2020 was such an exciting time for us,” she says, “the preview of the 45-minute opera had received critical acclaim and was poised to tour local schools. Then Covid-19 stopped the world.” Undaunted, the creative team is making plans to remount Flight of the Hummingbird as a 90-minute production.

Urban Reserve, 7.5 x 6 in, gas cap of vehicle, mixed media, 2022.

Urban Reserve, (reverse) 7.5 x 6 in, signed and dated by artist.

Michael Warren, who launched Madrona Gallery in 2010, is honoured to host Yahgulanaas’ first solo show in Victoria. Warren praises the artist’s special ability to raise issues by using a subtle blend of humour and critical insight. “This brings an atmosphere of inclusivity to Michael’s artworks that encourages people to engage on different levels,” he says. 
A good example of this is the one-by-eight-metre mural by Yahgulanaas recently installed at Humboldt Forum and Ethnological Museum in Berlin. Warren attended a preview of the mural in August 2022 before it was transported to Germany. The story board mural recounts the activities of a Norwegian collector who visited Haida Gwaii in 1881. The Norwegian’s mission was to return to Germany with museum-worthy goods. The level of research in Yahgulanaas' project impressed Warren. “But always, in the Manga aesthetic,” adds Warren, “there is lots of room for play and flights of fantasy.”
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Big Oil, 79x39 in, oil on canvas, 2020.

Big Oil, (reverse) 79x39 in, signed and dated by artist.

Pot Light, 18x14 in, watercolour, coloured pencil, collage on board. 2022.

Pot Light, 18x14 in (reverse) collage of maps, signed and dated by artist.

​Pot Light is a collage that features the pages of a famous catalogue published in 1932 by McLennan & McFeely Hardware (est.1869). “These catalogues are fascinating historical documents showing a time of settler growth in Victoria and Vancouver,” explains Yahgulanaas. Colonial expansion appears in the language of the “fine print” on the collaged catalogue sheets: Empire Pattern, Colonial Gold and Princess. The clash of cultures is suggested by the drawing of the formline creature, set afloat on a sea of consumer images, appearing misshapen and confused. The drawing has teeth, one bulging eye and a few strange appendages that encourage us to question: What are the consequences of this burgeoning urban society? The back of the painting features a collage of BC coastal maps, plus a title, date and iconic MNY signature.

Life Boat, 8x10 in, mixed media on board, 2022.

Diction of Dreams, 36x24 in, mixed media on canvas, 2021

​​Before computers, ledger paper was used for recording facts and figures. Life Boat features watercolour and coloured pencil on this durable cotton ground. The image is tightly cropped with classical Haida forms. The artist likes to rotate his artworks to change the horizon line, allowing various characters to emerge. “Alternating visual clues encourages our flexibility,” he says.

​At 68, Yahgulanaas looks to the future with optimism. He is aware of being propelled by the decades into an elder status. Sometimes he reflects on the best ways to pass on information and mentor youth. “It's not easy to create moments of transmission,” he says, “and go deeper into important conversations. Art becomes the vehicle. After my early training in Haida technique, I now navigate with my own kind of moral and artistic compass.”
Visitors to Madrona Gallery will appreciate following the visual pathways forged by this exceptional Canadian artist.

Madrona Gallery, 606 View Street, Victoria, B.C. V8W 1J4
​Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-5:30. 1-250-380-4660.
Visit Madrona Gallery website HERE

The Opening on November 5, 1:00-3:00 was a well-attended and joyful event. Yahgulanaas gave guests a tour of the show, sharing insights about his process and inspirations. Enjoy some photos of the Opening below. 

The arts writer at the Times Colonist, Mike Devlin, wrote about the artist in a full page spread with colour photos. Thanks!
Here is the link to the TC article:
​https://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/island-artist-finds-unorthodox-canvases-in-car-hoods-6059707

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Web Design and Content by Kate Cino
Arts writer published in Focus on Victoria, Yam and Boulevard. 
History in Art degree and Public Relations certificate from 
​the University of Victoria
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