Nelson Moody carving out a niche Coast Salish carver showcases craft to the world, and Sea to Sky, during Olympic and Paralympic Games
Canada’s First Nations people made it pretty clear at the Olympic opening ceremonies that they welcome other cultures onto their territory. And during the Paralympic Games, Squamish Nation carver Aaron Nelson Moody will continue to welcome people to his traditional territory, while teaching them about his people’s history and culture.
The 43-year-old artist began training in the early ’90s, apprenticing under the great Rick Harry (Xwa Lack Tun) as a second carver for almost 12 years. In that time, the teacher encouraged a young Nelson Moody to find his own distinct style. What he discovered, however, was actually a return to a traditional, graphic style of art, using those old simple, bold, clean forms from the Salish.
“Our stuff is considered a little simpler sometimes, but very, very graphic,” Nelson Moody explained. “It’s quite hard to do. I tend to think of it as a black and white photograph; it’s maybe a bit more abstract, but also quite a bit more graphic.”
Traditionally, carving provided a unique signature to possessions and created a sense of pride and ownership.
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