Scott Sueme - Haida Gwaii, Canada (Second Edition)

“It's been quite some time since I travelled alone, so I was looking forward to a bit of a recharge and finding some time to slow down. I was expecting to get out into nature a lot too. I think the trip ended up being a nice balance of new experience, exploration, and time to live quietly. The island is really quite remote, it's not easy to get to, and I think if it weren’t for the Jaunt it would have remained a pipe dream to make the trip. Just being in the woods and on trails left a big impression on me. You get a real sense of the fullness of life and mythical qualities of the woods out here, a very humbling and almost uneasy feeling, but I think that respect for nature is a good reminder of how small we are.

I was lucky enough to visit two studios in Skidegate and Masset, both historic places on the island for Haida art and carving, and I was really happy to have the chance to see carvers at work. I was already hoping to see and learn more about the history of Haida carving through my visits in the museum, but it was a pleasant surprise to see some work in progress. 

I was thinking a lot about old growth forests, and what it means to live in harmony with our eco-systems. In their culture the Haida people work to preserve and teach the idea of taking care of the land which will take care of you in return, but also to tread lightly and only take what you need. I created a work that highlighted the rings of a tree as a symbol of wisdom. The arrangement and other ‘objects’ in the print serve as impressions rather than literal translations. I was hoping to capture the feelings of my experiences from the trip more than anything, and I wanted to leave that open ended for the viewer.”