Heiltsuk Bear and Salmon wall panel is very precisely carved and painted with touches of jet black and subtle metallic tones, which really elevate the piece. Measures 16 x 7 and is .5 inches thick. Priced at $325.

The artist is a Heiltsuk First Nations wood carver, and has carving for more than 50 years. He is originally from Bella Bella, on the beautiful and very remote east coast of Campbell Island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada.

With a population of 1,400, Bella Bella is the largest community to be found on the Central Coast north of Queen Charlotte Strait. It is home to the Heiltsuk First Nation, and a very important regional hub. Like many small communities on the coast, such as nearby Ocean Falls, Bella Bella has had a precarious and isolated existence.

He lives with his wife and 3 sons at Nuutsumuut Lelum, a special development offering Nanaimo’s first affordable housing communities for families in 20 years. Nuutsumuut Lelum is Hulquiminum, the language of the Salish people. In English it means “All in One House.”