Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas facts for kids

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a talented artist, writer, and speaker. His amazing artwork can be found all over the world. You can see his pieces in famous places like the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Yahgulanaas has also worked hard to protect the environment and has been involved in politics for a long time. He was once an elected leader for the Old Massett Village Council. He was also part of the Council of the Haida Nation.

Growing Up and Early Life

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas was born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia in 1954. He grew up near a fishing village called Masset on Haida Gwaii. This area is off the coast of British Columbia. He is related to famous Haida artists, Isabella Edenshaw and Charles Edenshaw.

As a kid, Yahgulanaas loved reading comic books and drawing cartoons. He drew so much that his bedroom walls and ceiling were covered in his art!

When he was 22, he started using his art to help his community. He also used it to support bigger movements that worked to protect the environment.

His Art Journey

Learning Art Skills

In 1978, Yahgulanaas began his official training in the traditional styles of Haida art.

What is Haida Manga?

While Yahgulanaas learned from master carvers, he also learned some Chinese brush techniques. This mix of styles helped him create a new type of art called "Haida manga."

Haida Manga combines traditional art from the Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples with the exciting, dynamic style of Asian manga. It mixes different cultures and ideas to create something new. This art form helps people think about social issues in a fun and engaging way. It encourages discussion, thinking, and action.

Amazing Sculptures

Yahgulanaas has created many sculptures, especially out of metal. He made pieces for the British Museum in 2010 and for the City of Vancouver in 2011. He also created art for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In 2015, his sculpture called Sei was shown at the Vancouver International Airport. This artwork shows a sei whale. In 2016, his sculpture Yelthadaas became part of the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This piece was displayed in 2017. It hangs in a special gallery where modern art meets Indigenous art.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Solo Art Shows

• Diaries after a Flood, Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto, Canada, 2024
• Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas -- Traveling the Museum, Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2007
• Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB, Canada, 2009
• The Seriousness of Play, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2016
• A Tale of Two Shamans, Haida Gwaii, Canada, 2018
• Making Mischief, Gallery Jones, Vancouver, Canada, 2021
• New Works, Madrona Gallery, Victoria, Canada, 2022

Group Art Shows

• Raven Travelling, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2006
• Challenging Traditions, Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, BC, Canada, 2010
• Visions of British Columbia: A Landscape Manual, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2010
• Beat Nation, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2012
• Tokyo Design Week, Milan, Italy, 2015
• Comic Sans, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 2022
• Outsider Art Fair, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City, USA, 2023
• New Terrains: Contemporary Native American Art, Phillips, New York City, USA
• D'un océan à l'autre, cap sur la bande dessinée canadienne / From Coast to Coast, Canadian Comics on the Move, Angoulême International Comics Festival, Angoulême, France, 2024
• XIÁM, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2024

Books by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has written and illustrated many books. Here are some of them:

• JAJ: a Haida Manga, ISBN: 9781771623537, (2023)
• Carpe Fin: A Haida Manga, ISBN: 9781771622240, (2019)
• War of the Blink, ISBN: 9780995994621, (2017)
• The Little Hummingbird, ISBN: 9781553655336 (2010)
• Red: A Haida Manga, ISBN: 9781553653530, (2009)
• Flight of the Hummingbird: a parable for the environment, ISBN: 9781553653721, (2008)
• Hachidori (2005)
• A Lousy Tale (2004)

His book Hachidori has sold over 100,000 copies in Japan! Another book, Flight of the Hummingbird, is also very popular. It has been translated into five languages. This book even includes essays from important people like the Dalai Lama and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. Yahgulanaas also illustrated Declaration of Interdependence, a book written by Dr. David Suzuki.