COREY BULPITT
Ta’kiid Aayaa, Haida
"I am honoured to create art that respects the traditions of my ancestors from the Naikun Raven clan on Haida Gwaii"
- COREY BULPITT, HAIDA
FEATURED DESIGNS BY COREY BULPITT
“Painting and carving in Haida style connects me with my ancestry and allows me to have an intimate relationship with my culture and my people. I am committed to working in traditional style, to be part of our cultural renewal and to helping preserve the rich heritage of my forefathers. Studying the abundant wildlife in Haida Gwaii has inspired me to portray its form, movement, and grace in my art.”
MEET THE ARTIST
MEET THE ARTIST
Ta’kiid Aayaa is Corey Bulpitt’s Haida name, which translates to “gifted carver.” Corey is a carver and painter. Corey is Haida from the Naikun Raven clan. He was born in Prince Rupert, BC, and in 1996, Corey graduated from Langley Fine Art School.
Corey started his artistic career doing graffiti in the ‘90s. During his teen years, Corey was immersed in the fundamentals of hip hop culture. At 20 years old, Corey started a three-year apprenticeship in Haida Gwaii with master carver Christian White, in which he learned design and carving. He then apprenticed his uncle, Haida master carver Jim Hart, at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC.
HAIDA
Pronounced HIGH-duh, Haida (English: /ˈhaɪdə/, Haida: X̱aayda, X̱aadas, X̱aad, X̱aat) are an indigenous group who have inhabited their traditional unceded lands for over 10,000 years. The region occupies a vast archipelago just off the coast of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.
A culture made rich by an abundance of food and resources, Haida are known for their craftsmanship, seamanship, and trading skills. Most notably, their art and architecture, boasting some of the most revered wood carvings of any Indigenous population in the world in the form of elaborate Totem Poles and Longhouses.
A linguistically distinct group, Haida have a complex class and rank system consisting of two main clans, the Eagles and Ravens. Links and diversity within the Haida Nation were gained through a cross lineal marriage system between the clans.
Noted seafarers, the Haida occupied more than 100 villages throughout the Islands during pre-colonial times. Skilled and notable traders, with established trade links to neighbouring First Nations along the North American Coast Line, stretching all the way to California.