MICHAEL NICOLL YAHGULANAAS - House of the Spirit Bear Gallery

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas during interview at the opening of Meddling in the Museum at the
University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology - Photo courtesy of Darrell Gilmore

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas was born in Prince Rupert. BC Canada in 1954 and raised in Delkatla, on Haida Gwaii. He has exhibited work around the world and currently has collections at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver Canada, as well as at the Kawasaki City Manga Museum in Japan.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is the father of Haida Manga, which re-frames traditional Haida images by adapting them into Japanese manga-styled stories. His style denotes his propensity to "play the edge between the neighborhoods, a talent he learned growing up as a light-haired, green-eyed kid in a Haida community. True to that duality, his work expresses his social and environmental concerns with a "trickster-like sense of humour".

Yahgulanaas recently spoke at the MOMA on his melding of art, tradition and politics. He is also known for his numerous published works including A Lousy Tale, an adaptation of the Haida narrative, Raven Who Kept Walking, as well as A Tale of Two Shamans (Theytus Books), The Last Voyage of the Black Ship (Tales of Raven and Western Canadian Wilderness Committee), RED (Douglas &McIntyre) and Flight of the Hummingbird (Greystone).

His work has been most notably been featured in Challenging Traditions: Contemporary First Nations Art of the Northwest Coast an exhibition at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection curated by Ian M. Thom. He is also featured in a corresponding Douglas & McIntyre publication of the same title. Michael will also be featured in a solo show at the Glenbow opening October 17, 2009.

Haida - "TAAN" Haida Bear

Printers proof serigraph (silk screen) - 1977
number of prints available is unknown

Michael had this to say about TAAN;

“The print is named Taan- a bear print from a distant past.

If I recall it is a silk screen and the test results of a brief training experience I enjoyed with Glenn Woods before moving home to train under Robert Davidson (along with fellow students Reg Davidson, Jim Hart, Don Yeomans) “

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

$990.00 professionally framed

This is a collection of our favorite MNY Haida Manga - A tale of Two Shamans original drawing series "Shamanic Doodles" professionally framed including both books that the Haida Manga images were removed from.

Now available to purchase - $1200.00

Please email use for more pictures or questions

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has produced a special edition of RED a Haida Manga - There are only a hundred copies for the world wide release. Each special edition of RED a Haida Manga will be uniquely numbered X/100.

They are hard cover first edition with a slip case, red ribbon bookmark, signed and include a color poster ( 17 X 44") reproduction of the original mural.

In addition each copy will contain an original piece of work; & X &" 100% hot pressed cotton 140lb. The first Twenty of the books are available for sale at $300.00 with the Black and White drawings. (Sold Out)

We have a limited number of the colour drawings and are available at $500.00 per special edition. As pictured below.

To reserve your copy please contact Darrell at 604.708.4114

Title: "Two Sisters"

Date: July, 2007
Medium: Dodge Dynasty and Chevrolet Geo Metro car hoods, copper leaf, paint
Size: 204 x 130 cm

AVAILABLE FOR SALE - $23,500

Contact Darrell Gilmore at 604.708.4114
for more information

"Two Sisters" is meant to be taken apart into three pieces. The bottom left and right images can be separated from the main body of work. Each piece is signed and numbered as shown above. We are working on the photos and will update soon.

"Two Sisters" was part of "Meddling in the Museum" exhibition at University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology. "Two Sisters" is the only work available from the exhibition to purchase.

Title: "Pedal To The Meddle"

Glenbow Museum Cellection

Date: July, 2007
Medium: Pontiac Firefly, auto body paint, argillite dust, copper leaf

Notes: Pictured with 7.5 meter cedar canoe by Bill Reid, assisted by Guujaaw, Simon Dick, and others, 1985. MOA Nb1.737. not for sale

Artist Name:	Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Year:	2007
Medium:	11 foot long Pontiac Firefly automobile, 27 foot long Haida cedar canoe, copper, paint
Artwork Description:	An authentic Pacific Northwest coast canoe is placed on top of a Pontiac Firefly car finished with Copper and a paint made from Argillite (oil bearing shale) dust. The canoe was created by Canadian icon Bill Reid (look at the Canadian 20$ bill) and current Council of the Haida Nation President Guujaau. Pedal to the Meddle was on exhibit through to April 08 at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Haida Manga - "Peddle to the Meddle"
being crated for the journy to Calgary, Alberta to become part of the
Glenbow Museum Collection

Title: "Stolen But Recovered"
onto another journey will update you soon....

Date: July, 2007
Medium: Plymouth and Pontiac car hoods, copper leaf, paint
Size: 185 x 140 cm

Glenbow Museum Collection

Haida Manga - "Copper" Coming Soon

Haida Manga - "Cliff & Iona" 2007
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

"Cliff and Iona" was done prior to the UBC Museum of Anthropology's installation of Michael's Meddling in the Museum. This set the stage for the installation.

Here you will see Michael's favorite character of the installation which of course is our friend "Cliff".

You need to take a look at our little friend the Raven called Iona at the bottom taking a pee in the ocean below the cliff's where the frog is on looking in total disgust then Cliff is just taking in the wonderful view. A another great work from our Haida Manga guy....

umm lets think Iona, Fraser River and the number 1 and 2 .... running into it.. "yikes" says MNY

private collection

Haida Manga "Bear Mom & Babes"
private collection

Haida Manga - "Here comes the Flood"
private collection

Haida Manga - "Octopuses Garden"
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Title: "Octopuses Garden"

Date: March 22, 2007
Medium: Watercolour on hot press 100% cotton 300 g/m² paper
Size: 26 x 18 cm

Notes: Haida know that the great Pacific Octopus is not above doing a little hunting of humans as the occasion presents itself.

Haida Manga - Octopuses Garden
private collection

A Tale of Two Shamans

This story is a blend of accounts recorded at the turn of the last century in three of the once numerous dialects of the Haida language. I have combined elements from these accounts into a newly constructed whole. Be cautioned that these images are interpretations informed by my own cultural composition and life experiences. This is a contemporary rendering of a worldview first expressed in different times and probably for different reasons...

I have restrained myself from writing an extensive opinion limiting my retelling to a brief text and illustrations. This should suffice to give the engaged reader a hint of the amazing concepts which ripple through this shamanic tale and remain a substantial element of that dynamic living society of Indigenous Peoples called Haida.

michael nicoll yahgulanaas

Haida Manga

Haida Manga - A Tale of Two Shamans "Shamanic Doodles"

Michael has created a series called Shamanic Doodles consisting of a minimum of 3 original felt markers/brush sketches in each of the last copies of his book, A Tale of Two Shamans. Each of these sketches are signed and can be removed from the book for framing, without damaging the book and story. There are 90 books all numbered and catalogued in this series of original works

Great News for MNY,

Rob Sanders, publisher of Greystone Books, has sold French-Canadian rights for Haida Manga artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’s Flight of the Hummingbird to Éditions du Boréal. Short Books has bought U.K. rights.

Haida Manga - "Tulip Dancer"
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Acrylic on Canvas painting completed November, 2006 on 76cm x 92cm x 5cm canvas.

"Tulip Dancer" is a work on canvas and is only one of the very few Haida Manga works on cloth. Like the very first ever HM work on cloth, "Mouldy Forehead" now in private collection in Florida, "Tulip Dancer" anticipates the past exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology by the use of copper leaf. Due to other commitments including a contract to produce a series of 112 original works on paper for a 2009 book of HM, more canvas pieces will be uncommon from some time.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Haida Manga - Tulip Dancer

Haida Manga - "The Head Waiter"

The story and inspiration was by John Robson's

(Robson married Qwa'Kuna, the widowed mother of Charles Edenshaw (Michael's Great Great Grandfather). Robson taught his stepson many carving skills and worked on a number of poles with him, which explains the points of similarity in their styles. )

provocative Argillite and Silver carved box now in the Glenbow collection.

Box

Haida Manga - "The Head Waiter"

On the top left we have the on looker - The middle is the "Head Waiter" just trying his best to keep everything together to serve the perfect dish. But we think our lady friend is poised to trip it all up.

PRIVATE COLLECTION

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Copyright © 2005 House of the Spirit Bear Art Gallery Inc. All art work is Copyright © 2008 Last modified: 02/23/10

Copyright © 2005 House of the Spirit Bear Art Gallery Inc. All art work is Copyright © 2008
Last modified: 02/23/10