Ernest Skillaw Edenso Swanson

Haida Artist born in King County, WA. 1981
Raised on Haida Gwaii, Ernest is a matrilineal descendent of Charles Edenshaw, and grandson to the late Rufus Moody. Ernest has studied with Jim McGuire, Christian White, Jim Hart, and Dan Wallace and has completed two design courses with Robert Davidson.

In 2005, Ernest had earned the Emerging Artist award from British Columbia’s Alliance of Arts and Culture presented by Robert Davidson, recipient of the award in Visual Arts.
Ernest Swanson and Tyson Brown assisted Jim Hart on the carving of the Celebration of Bill Reid pole which was raised February 21, 2009 at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art.

Ernest carved a totem pole under the guidance of Chief Edenso “James Hart” of the Haida whom Ernest had learned techniques in the art of metallurgy along with wooden sculpting.  In 2009, they went to perform Haida ceremonial dances and taught over a thousand Swiss children about Haida culture at the Olympic museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, where one of his pieces was acquired by the president of Finland.

Ernest’s jewellery, masks, and drawings have been acquired by many galleries and museums including the Coastal People’s Art Gallery, the Museum of Civilization, the Bill Reid Gallery, and the University of Manitoba.

Artist Statement

“Our culture; our heritage is born of our respectful, intimate ties with the earth and the sea. Like a forest, the roots of our people are entwined, and adversity will not cut us down. We owe our existence to Haida Gwaii. It is here on these islands, where our ancestors lived and died, that we shall live until such time as they send us the sign to join them in the next world. The generation of those living today assumes the responsibility of passing down our heritage to the generations that follow.”

– Ernest Swanson

Artwork