Mi'ma̱si'ḵw

Giclée

Edition 25

Released October 2013
Primary: Available
A/P: SOLD OUT

When I originally created my first sea urchin print, Ma̱si’ḵw, two years ago I had just come back from a trip to Tofino with my family. I delighted in watching the kids scamper over the rocks to look at the vibrant sea life of the intertidal zone. Bright colours were a treat to our eyes as we recognized the bountiful and delicate gift that the ocean provides for us.

One such creature of the ocean is the red sea urchin, or Ma̱si’ḵw (muh-SEEKW). A favourite food of sea otters, it is also loved by many food aficionados. My ancestors would often use yew wood prongs to harvest this spiny creature whose insides yield a succulent and rich treasure for the palate.

The vast majority of my prints that I’ve released over the years have been titled in English. I’ve done this consciously because I wanted to reach a broad audience and feel that English--as my first language--allows me to name a piece with as much delicacy as possible. With only about 200 Kwak̕wala speakers remaining, I have come to realize that language preservation will take a lot of work and personal sacrifice.

While a single urchin is called Ma̱si’ḵw, pluralized it is called Mi’ma̱si’ḵw(meet-muh-SEEKW). In naming this piece, I strove to convey a sense of unfamiliarity that mirrors the non-traditional design of the image. I wanted to prod the viewer to ask, “what is it?” and for them to not know immediately what it was by the title. My intention was to honour this traditional spiny, yet delicate, food source with its traditional Kwak̕wala title.

“Mi’ma̱si’ḵw” is a limited edition print using the giclée method of printmaking. This print was released in October of 2013 and printed by Andy Everson at Copper Canoe, the artist’s own studio in Comox B.C. A total of 28 prints bear the title “Mi’ma̱si’ḵw” and are signed by Andy Everson: 25 in the primary edition bearing the numbers 1/25 through 25/25; 2 Artist’s Proof; and 1 Printer’s Proof. The acid-free Moab Entrada 100% cotton rag paper measures 17x22 inches. Image size measures about 14x20 inches.