Look at the stars, Learn from our ancest…
Look at the stars, Learn from our ancestors
By Eliot White-Hill Kwulasultun
Image shows a detail of artwork by Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun.
This installation is a collage of Coast Salish narratives about joy, connection to place, cosmology, and the love of our ancestors. The artist Eliot White-Hill has spent a lot of time recently looking at historical works of Coast Salish art that his ancestors made and in doing so had been reminded of the strength of who they are and the strength of their stories.
When Eliot looks at Coast Salish art that is anywhere from hundreds to thousands of years old, he sees a continuous flow of thought and visual language that connects through to the work done by relations and fellow artists now. Through this piece, Eliot is celebrating the commonalities of culture, story, and lived experience between the Coast Salish peoples and asking himself what it means to carry Coast Salish art as a xwulmuxw today.”
Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun (he/they), is a Coast Salish and Nuu Chah Nulth artist and storyteller from the Snuneymuxw First Nation. His family has roots in Penelakut, Hupacasath and further abroad up and down the Northwest Coast. His interdisciplinary art practice is rooted in honouring and celebrating the teachings and stories passed down by his family, community, and culture. His practices include digital art, painting, sculpture, creative writing, public installation, and curation. He currently resides on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ peoples.
This artwork was commissioned by City of Vancouver Public Art Program for Platforms: Nine Places for Seeing
