Inspired by cedar and spruce-root hats of the indigenous Pacific Northwest Coast people, this artwork expresses the belief that the land exists as an equivalent being to humanity and as such it should be respected. The horizontal layers of the landscape reveal that the land we live on is an ancient body. Knowledge acquired over time is embedded in the land in the same way it is embedded in the aging human body. The hat celebrates the respect and reverence for aging and agedness that the indigenous people of the coast uphold both for the land and for the person.
About the Artist:
Marianne Nicolson is a Dzawada’enuxw (Kwakwaka’wakw) artist based in Victoria, BC. She holds a BFA from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and a MFA in Visual Art from the University of Victoria. She works in a variety of media to express Kwakwaka’wakw concepts, both in traditional forms and in mixed media works and installations meant for public spaces and art institutions. Her work has been shown both nationally and internationally.
