Jay Simeon

Country/Region: Northwest Coast (view other artists)

Tribe: Haida

Jay's heritage is Plains and Northwest Coast First Nations: he is Blackfoot on his mother's side and Haida on his father's. His paternal family is from a small village named Kiusta, located along the northwestern tip of Haida Gwaii, north of Old Masset. Kiusta is considered to be an ancient totem pole sanctuary. Jay's family crests include the Eagle, Killerwhale, Cormorant, Frog, Beaver, Flicker, and Raven. Although he has a strong connection to both sides of his roots, his artwork is greatly influenced by his Haida heritage.

At fourteen, Jay began to pursue designing under the guidance of Sharon Hitchcock, a Haida artist and his first cousin. He became interested in exploring various mediums including argillite, a slate significant to Haida culture. After moving to Vancouver, Jay was introduced to Andrew Williams, an emerging argillite carver and dealer, who inspired Jay to take up the art of carving argillite. Jay's argillite pieces are elaborately inlaid with abalone shell and mastodon ivory. Jay is currently carving miniature and model images such as masks, poles, canoes, and feast bowls out of cedar.

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