Hagwil-Gaa
Ed.E.Bryant
Tsimshian Artist - Gitando Clan Raven crest
Ed. E. Bryant, born in Lax Kw Alaams, a small native village on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Ed was raised by his grandparents and inspired by the cultural knowledge of his grandfather. Over the course of his life he has been taught traditional values, including the history, mythology, medicine and language of his people, the Tsimshian. For over 20 years, Edward Bryant has been carving his art pieces, in traditional Tsimshian style, mostly out of red and yellow cedar, alder, birch, maple and yew wood.
He also works in bone, natural ivory, copper and silver. Enhancing many of his pieces are intricate abalone shell inlay work. The artist also creates dance regalia, designs and is skilled in toolmaking. He has collaborated with his brother Henry Green to work on totems and canoe including a four crest memorial pole, 9 meters high, erected in Prince Rupert; a 4 meter column pole erected in Port Simpson; and a 3 meter totem erected in Geneva. All art pieces, such as an 8 meter canoe, were done with traditional bent knives and elbow adzes. His work was also inspired by various artists, such as Ron Telek, Heber Reece, Lyle Campbell, George McKay and others.
Edward Bryant has also worked in a carving shop, which is associated with the Museum of Northern British Columbia in Prince Rupert. Since 1998, during his stay in Germany, the artist has exhibited his objects in several museums to great acclaim. TXAMSEM, the mythological giant / raven, made out of 450 year old red cedar, was displayed in the North American exhibit, with other artifacts, at the Lindenmuseum Stuttgart. For a special exhibition, also at the Lindenmuseum, called the ” Die Kunst zu Überleben - Indianer Nordamerikas”, he also designed and showed two original prints, Raven and Killerwhale. This exhibit was shown in January 99 at Zürich, Switzerland. As of November 98, RHEESPUNT, the Bear Mother mask, made of carved yellow cedar and painted, was purchased by the Lindenmuseum Stuttgart, as was a traditional Tsimshian longhouse model. Both are on exhibit in their public display of Northwest Coast native cultural pieces and arts. KTSEMAUS, a birch mask, which represents a spirit of the sandbar on the
Skeena River, is currently in an exhibition called ” Winnetous Tod “, at the Neanderthal
Museum in Germany. Exhibits in 2000 include “Masken der Welt” in Burgfrieden/Ulm, which represented 5000 years of masks of the world and another one in the museum in Hagen, which shows historical native pieces and newer traditional Tsimshian arts of the artist. Ed has contributed to literature on First Nations arts and has given many lectures, workshops, radio and television interviews, and seminars. He has given guided tours in
museums such as the Dahlem Museum in Berlin, Völkerkunde Museum in Frankfurt
and Heidelberg. He has also participated in the opening ceremony for the Canadian Embassy, titled ” Raubwal und Sonnenfinder “, in Bad Schwalbach. He has had a very successful and fulfilling stay in Germany over the past few years.
Lax Kw Alaams: