Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White: Master Haida Artist
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver, BC - To Feb 1, 2026
About ten years ago, Haida artist Kihl ‘Yahda Christian White was surprised to learn that an artwork given back to him—a seal, carved out of whalebone— had been made by himself 40 years earlier, when he was only 12 years old.
“I was kind of amazed to see it later. ‘I did that?’” he says with a chuckle. Then the memories came back: how long it had taken him to saw through the bone and how he had worked on the seal for days. Within five years of carving that piece, he was working as a full-time artist.
Seal Carving is one of more than 40 pieces on display at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver. They span the multidisciplinary artist’s 50-year carving career, including masks, bentwood boxes, jewelry, and regalia made from materials like argillite, cedar, copper and abalone. Some of the pieces were co-created with eight of White’s long-time key apprentices, who represent his drive to mentor the next generation of artists.
Preview reached White in his home village of Old Massett, where he had just finished teaching eight youth how to carve in red cedar, in the Tluu Xaada Naay traditional longhouse he constructed in 2005. “We’re working on what we call a Manda’aa, which is a sculpture, a horizontal memorial,” he says.
White’s interest in carving came early. “I witnessed a totem pole being carved by Robert Davidson and Reg Davidson back in 1969 and it was raised next to my house … so it’s always been there as an inspiration.” His father, Chief Iidansuu Morris White, who was the Hereditary Chief of the Saang.gahl Sdaastaas Eagle Clan of K’yuusda, started out carving argillite before moving on to success as an accomplished silver engraver, says Christian. White picked up his father’s old tools and once he started carving argillite, found he had an affinity for it.
The retrospective is technically the artist’s first-ever solo show, though White has also exhibited in group shows in BC and Washington State and has pieces in private collections across the US, Canada and Europe.
