ABOVE THE FLOOD
Watching for the light….
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
An exhibit by the Hearth Gallery at the Bowen Island Community Center.
May 1st- July 28th, 2026
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Above the Flood, watching for the light” is a solo non-commercial exhibition taking place at the Bowen Community Center from May 1 to July 28, 2026.
“Above the Flood, watching for the light” is a new series of paintings following closely upon the 26 paintings in the previous Daalkaatlii diaries series. The Diaries were an exploration of the flood that swept over Haida territories in Alaska and off the West Coast of British Columbia long before there was even an idea of a Canada. Those paintings are in the permanent collection of the Paris’ Musée du Quai Branly- Jacques Chirac, in private collections and also at Gallery Jones in Vancouver.
That exploration of that flood and trauma led me to speculate about unseen forces undulating through our lives. While I have drawn upon some cosmologies of old that seem unique to my own peoples it was also important as an artist to fulfill my obligation to make up stuff. Therefore, the narratives and characters that are revealed in these 6 paintings from the Over the Flood, watching for the light series are liberated from the fabricated characteristics proposed to fully describe any ethnic or national identities.
Here is one artist’s fantastical speculations of the vast spaces between electrons and nuclei.
These seemingly empty spaces are not easily found but are constantly experienced by all of us. One of the many lens that can puncture our darkened curated sovereignty is at sea when the bright sun slips below the open horizon. Perhaps you have seen it.
I called upon one colour in particular to help describe that fleeting flash of light. Maybe my choice works for you. This is the first time that these paintings are publicly revealed. If you wish to message me please do so through the website mny.ca or @yahgulanaas on Instagram.
Please Enjoy.
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
May 1, 2026
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas of hybrid ethnicities is mostly a visual contemporary artist, author, and professional spark plug. His work has been seen in public spaces, museums, galleries and private collections around the world. Institutional collections include the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Anthropology, Peabody Essex Museum, Humbolt Forum, Denver Art Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum, Glenbow Museum, and Vancouver Art Gallery.
Large sculptural works are part of the public art collections of the Vancouver International Airport, City of Vancouver, City of Kamloops, and University of British Columbia. Yahgulanaas's publications include national bestsellers Flight of the Hummingbird, RED, a Haida Manga, and JAJ. When not writing or producing art, Yahgulanaas draws from his 20 years of political experience and works with businesses, institutions, and communities about social justice, community building, communication, and change management.
Yahgulanaas became a full-time artist after many decades working as part of the Council of the Haida Nation's successful campaigns, however, his artistic activity started much earlier. As the descendant of iconic artists Isabella Edenshaw, Charles Edenshaw, and Delores Churchill, he had early training from exceptional creators and master carvers. In the late 1990s, under the tutelage of Cantonese master Cai Ben Kwon, he created the art form called "Haida Manga."
Haida Manga blends North Pacific Indigenous iconographies and framelines with the graphic dynamism of Asian manga. It is committed to hybridity as a positive force that opens a third space for critical engagement. That hybridity becomes woven through the artist's art, books and speeches, and offers an empowering and playful way to view and engage with social issues.
Yahgulanaas's visual practice encompasses a variety of art forms including large-scale public art projects, mixed media sculptures and canvases, re-purposed automobile parts, acrylics, watercolours, ink drawings, ceramics and illustrated publications. Exploring themes of identity, environmentalism and the human condition, he communicates a worldview that is, while particular to his ancestral North Pacific archipelago of Haida Gwaii, also relevant to a contemporary and internationally-engaged audience.
Yahgulanaas's practice is celebrated for its vitality, relevancy, and originality.
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