Shark Frontlet Earrings

Gwaii Edensahw

Gwaai was raised on Haida Gwaii. At age 16, he went to Vancouver to apprentice as an artist with Bill Reid. He received a diploma in jewelry design from Vancouver Community College. He is known primarily for his metalwork. He also works with a variety of media including bone, slate, wood, as well as some work in sketch and painting. His work has been exhibited in a number of galleries in both Canada and the United States, and he curated a show on indigenous erotica in 2013.

Alongside being an illustrator, Gwaai also has a passion for story and language. As a founding member of the K’aalts’idaa K’ah Storytelling Society, he has had a role in numerous productions, including the Haidawood stop-motion animation suite, the Haida staging of Sounding Gambling Sticks, and as a consultant in Bruce Ruddell’s Beyond Eden.

Along with a life of learning from his father, Guujaaw, Gwaai was also trained by Bill Reid. He continues to learn through the generosity of senior artists and collaborators.