Carl Sam

Tribe: St'at'imc
Based In: New Westminster, BC
Email: skookumchucksam@gmail.com
Social Media: @skookumchucksam

About the Artist
I am "Ha7li" of the Bear Clan from Skookumchuck, part of St'at'icmulh Nation, sometimes referred to as the Interior Salish. I believe I was destined to be an artist. Back in "grade one" when I was given the first opportunity to draw, I drew an Easter bunny with ease, impressing my classmates. At that time I knew I was blessed with a gift, which I could utilize and enjoy later in life. After graduating from Vancouver Secondary in 1974, I went to various colleges to further my study of the arts: Langara College for Fine Arts, Emily Carr College of Art for wood and stone carving, and Fraser Valley College for printmaking. I work with wood carving, painting, drawing, cake decorating, printing, drum-making, and singing. I really took a shine to working with multiple variations of stone - from soapstone, alabaster, limestone, and ice, to harder rocks of sandstone, andisite, granite, and jade. All of these mediums have good results as well as challenges. From the onset of sculpting, I have been drawn to carving people and animals - depicting their livelihood and captured in stone for time immemorial. It gives me pleasure to visualize something in a stone, then I merely go about bringing it out in a stone sculpture. I am currently situated in BC, working full-time as a Community Wellness Worker for our people. I love walking along creeks and spotting potential stones that I immediately "see within" and then I have a heavy load to carry home. Each piece is a unique sculpture as envisioned between the rock and myself, to give pleasure to the beholder. "Kukstum-kalh snek-nukwa"--Thank you my friend.