“Everything we do is to honour our culture,” Master Haida artist Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White says during the opening of a new solo exhibition, which features some of his cultural treasures and those of his apprentices over the years. On February 1, many of Christian’s family, friends and community filled up the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art in Vancouver to honour and celebrate the year-long exhibition that showcases a glimpse into Christian’s 50-year career as a Haida master artist and mentor.
Christian White is of the Yaghulaanas Raven clan and is influenced by his father Chief Edenshaw, Morris White. Christian, along with his wife Candace Weir-White and family, have been major forces in keeping Haida art, language and culture alive. Christian is known for his argillite carvings, inlay work, wood-carved masks and boxes, gold and silver jewelry, steamed ocean-going cedar canoes and monumental poles. Christian began carving at the age of 14 and has been working full-time as an artist since he was 17.
“My father was the first person I saw carving… carving on argillite, carving on copper and silver, and I picked up his old tools, whatever he offered us to carve… There’s a piece my mother gave back to me that I carved when I was 12 years old, a seal on whale bone,” Christian says during the exhibition opening. “I witnessed a totem pole being raised in 1969, carved by Robert Davidson and his brother Reg. I also witnessed the raising of the Bill Reid totem pole and many others over the years.”
“It signalled the beginning of the revival of our culture, the taking back of our culture.”
Doing Chiefly Things
Early highlights of Christian’s career include the creation of a 35-foot pole with his father, and the carving of a sculpture Raven Dancer, purchased by the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, when he was only 22 years old and the recent Tluuwée Kwiiyaas, a 52-foot canoe.
The exhibition was guest curated by Sdahl Ḵ’awaas Lucy Bell, with help from her daughter, Gudangee Xahl Kil Amelia Rea, curatorial assistant at the Bill Reid Gallery and features works that span the entirety of Christian’s career, as well as collaborate works from his apprentices over the years. Lucy has worked closely with her daughter, passing on her curatorial knowledge to the next generation, in a similar way to how Christian mentors his apprentices. Amelia grew up with Christian and Candace and their dance and culture group, she says, so it was the perfect fit to be able to bring the exhibition to life. Lucy says the exhibition “grew into an honouring of all of his work, his father’s work, his sibling’s work, his children’s work and his apprentices’ work.”
“He really wanted to share the spotlight with his apprentices,” she says during the opening. “It’s amazing to see how many artists he features and how generous he was.”
Christian wanted to honour his apprentices, from the first apprentice he had back in 1999 to the present day, he says. The most recent piece created by one of his apprentices, included in the gallery’s exhibition, was completed in 2024.
“I want to honour them by their contributions. I tell my apprentices, if you’re going to learn carving and art from me, you have to learn song and dance also, and language,” Christian says. “I’m humbled to have my work here alongside the great artist Bill Reid and my cousin Chief 7iDANsuu Jim Hart. We’re descendants from our great great grandfather, Charles Edenshaw and Isabella Edenshaw, great artists… everything we do is to honour our culture.”
Chief 7iDANsuu Jim Hart says it’s an honour to have the opportunity to gather, to “see familiar faces and carry on with friendships, to celebrate something great,” Jim says. “This man does Chiefly things. He’s been doing Chiefly things for many many years. He’s one of our cultural heroes. Bill Reid was a cultural hero of ours, he kept us in this world.”
“Christian does great things with our people at home… he’s one of our cultural heroes and he keeps us moving forward.”
After the speeches, Christian and Candace’s dance and culture group the Tluu Xaada Naay (TXN) Society shared songs and dances, some that showcased Christian’s masks and unique designs. The exhibition will run until February 1, 2026. he exhibition was supported by The Audain Foundation, Peter & Joanne Brown Foundation, Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel, Eric and Jennifer Martin through Nighthawk Fund at Aqueduct Foundation, City of Vancouver I Cultural Services, Canada Council for the Arts, The Hamber Foundation and the Province of B.C. & British Columbia Arts Council. Learn more about the exhibition here.
