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In Esquimalt artist Darlene Gait's paintings and screenprints, prominent animals of the Northwest Coast -bear, eagle, raven, salmon - are depicted from encounters she has had with them in their environment. She incorporates Coast Salish elements to illustrate the interdependence of her culture and the environment.
Gait...is as inspired as she is inspirational.
-- Indian Country Today
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Canadian Wildlife
Contemporary Coast Salish
West Coast Spirit
The distinctive artwork of Canadian First Nations artist Darlene Gait has been described as "about all things good" (Robert Amos).
Even the titles of her wildlife pieces such as Sisters, Partners for Life, and Spring Arrival suggest that her beautiful depictions of the wolves, eagles, and a family of lynx are more than simple nature pictures. Traditional Coast Salish images in Appreciation, Children of the Sea, and I Heard a Spirit offer new perspectives into the traditional lives and history of First Nations people, and their connections with the earth.
Connecting With Spirit
Darlene's paintings and stories express her personal connections to
nature and the environment. Her Coast Salish heritage and spiritual beliefs in unity and harmony enrich her work with powerful images and evocative themes in paintings like Letting Go, Reflections of Spirit, and Dancing With Spirit.
"Transferring words into visual images is her way of storytelling. And those stories are very powerful. Taking traditional emblems, such as animals with supernatural associations, she transfers their power into contemporary moments, often the narratives of children coming to terms with history.... The transformational power that allowed her aboriginal ancestors to move in and out of the spirit realm is apparent in the images she selects to tell her stories: animals with grace and wisdom, children with genetic memory, and landscapes that are one with plant and animal life." (Linda Rogers, Focus Magazine)
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Visit One Moon Gallery
Esquimalt, BC
(250) 294 6388
Enter Darlene Gait's world of dreams and inspiration by walking into One Moon Gallery and Showroom on the Esquimalt Reserve near Victoria, BC, where you can view the natural world from Darlene's unique perspective, a point of view that represents connectedness, strength, harmony and beauty.
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