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Raven Panel

Raven Panel, by Corey Bulpitt of the Naikun Raven clan from Haida Gwaii, is a red-cedar carving that features Raven — a hero (or anti-hero) in Haida mythology. Raven’s beak holds a figure that could be interpreted as one of two characters from Haida legend: Fungus Man, who is associated with the creation of the two sexes, or an animated version of light, which Raven stole and released into the sky to create the sun, moon and stars.

According to the artist, the figure’s ambiguity reflects the way Haida people often have to decipher their own characters and myths represented in historic carvings because of how colonization has affected the preservation of their traditions and culture.

The artist, born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, works in different mediums. He is renowned for his large, spray-paint murals that fuse hip hop and traditional Haida cultures. His Haida name, Ta’kiid Aayaa, translates to “Gifted Carver.”

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