Chris Paul, Eagles, 2008, sand blasted cedar and paint. Gift of the Salish Weave Collection of George and Christiane Smyth, 2021. Photo: Rachel Topham Photography.
Chris Paul
In Coast Salish culture, the Eagle is known as the master of the skies and can travel between the physical and spiritual worlds. Chris Paul’s low relief work Eagles is rendered as a simple design created using trigons, circles, and crescents, emphasizing the grain of the cedar wood itself and the texture of the sandblasting. Paul works across multiple media and Eagles is a fine example of his technique, composition strategies, and execution.
Chris Paul is a member of the T'sartlip First Nation on the western side of the Saanich Peninsula. In his youth Paul apprenticed with Floyd Joseph (Squamish) and Roy Henry Vickers (Tsimshian, Haida, Heiltsuk). Paul continues to explore his cultural roots using contemporary methods and media. His work ranges from fine jewelry to wood carving, etched glass, acrylic painting, and serigraph prints. He entwines traditional style with his own contemporary interpretations of Coast Salish design.