Don Yeomans
Haida / Metis Nations
Born on June 29, 1958, in Prince Rupert, BC, Don Yeomans is one of the most respected and renowned Northwest Coast Native artists. Born of a Masset Haida father and a Metis mother from Slave Lake, Alberta, Yeomans has studied and worked in the Haida Style since he was a youth.
As a young man, Yeomans apprenticed under the expert guidance of his aunt, Freda Diesing. He worked with Robert Davidson RCA on the Charles Edenshaw Memorial Longhouse and completed a jewelry apprenticeship with Phil Janze. Yeomans has also studied fine art at Langara College in Vancouver.
He has worked with many acclaimed Northwest coast artists, including Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Phil Janze and Gerry Marks, studying their styles, techniques and philosophies.
Don Yeomans crafts his artworks in many materials: he creates exquisite jewelry pieces in gold and silver, paints elegant Haida designs on paper, produces outstanding prints and is one of the finest carvers.
His work can be found in the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology, the Royal British Columbia Museum, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the Seattle Art Museum. In 2002 he completed a major totem pole commission for Stanford University.
Works by this Artist (Present + Past + Public)
Present Works
-
Bear, Frog, Killerwhale, Raven & Eagle Chest
Don Yeomans
Price upon requestRed Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
“This was the last chest made by my friend, Larry Rosso, before he died. In fact, I removed some wood from the front side, as he had already begun carving it. My goal in designing this large box was to make each side as interesting as the front. Quite often, only the front side of the chests were given special attention, with the back and side designs being so much weaker and ill-defined.
The front side [of this chest] is a Grizzly and a Frog, while the back is a split Killerwhale. A Raven adorns one side, with an Eagle on the other.” – Don Yeomans 2022
Specific and unique to the Northwest Coast People is the bentwood or bent-corner box or container. A most outstanding item of the First Nations people, it is a made from one single plank of wood through a lengthy steaming process – a method strictly adapted by the coastal peoples.
-
“Birth of an Idea” Panel
Don Yeomans
CA$18,000.00Red Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
“Originally, this panel was a naked yellow cedar board, but I added the white to highlight the undulating formlines, which are easier to see on a monochromatic surface. The main character is basically a mighty mouse, abstracted to convey how ideas emerge from my mind’s eye towards the hands – or in this case, the paw of the mighty mouse. The condensed figure within the eye is an embryonic idea.
Yup, that’s how they all look to me!” – Don Yeomans -
-
Moon & Ravens Mask
Don Yeomans
CA$15,000.00Cast Forton, Edition of 12
Unframed
(For inquiries on Custom Framing, please contact the gallery)
Cast Forton is suitable for both outdoor and indoor display.
“When I decided to carve a Moon mask, I wanted it to depict something beyond Haida legend. Traditionally, Raven is represented with the Sun and Moon because of his role in placing these heavenly elements into our sky. With my mask, the female Moon is surrounded by two Ravens – a male and female. They represent myself and my wife Trace, as we are both from the Haida Raven clan. Looking at the stars and moon on clear nights just happens to be one of our favourite things to do.” – Don Yeomans
-
Le Colibrí (Hummingbird) Panel
Don Yeomans
CA$18,000.00Red Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
“My son, who loves France and is fluent in the French language, told me that the colours I used for this Hummingbird reminded him of the French flag. ‘Le Colibri’ is simply the French word for Hummingbird.” – Don Yeomans
-
Divide & Conquer
Don Yeomans
CA$1,000.00Serigraph, Edition of 99
2021
Unframed
(For inquiries on Custom Framing, please contact the gallery)
“The print depicts two humans, split from one original body they once shared. Separated and suspicious of each other, they are easy victims for the powers that divide them.” – Don Yeomans
-
Deconstructed Eagle Panel
Don Yeomans
CA$15,000.00Yellow Cedar wood
“This is one of the first pieces I carved for this show. It was abstract, in the sense that the parts of the bird had been rearranged to fit the circle. The main idea was to showcase a new style of design, where I use what I call, ‘undulating formline’. Traditional design uses shapes called ovoids and u-shapes, which in themselves are complete elements. In this new style, my elements go under and over and through. My first drawing of this style came to me about 20 years ago. Only in recent years have I been able to carve it to the level I imagined it at.” – Don Yeomans
-
Raven & the Moon Bracelet
Don Yeomans
CA$45,000.0018K Yellow Gold, Repoussé, Chased, Engraved
Tapered -
-
Raven & Frog Totem Pole
Don Yeomans
CA$80,000.00Red Cedar Wood
For inquiries on totem pole commissions, please click here.
Don Yeoman’s Raven & Frog Totem Pole demonstrates the artist’s mastery of cedar wood, particularly in his depth of carving. Yeoman’s decision to leave the pole unpainted serves to utilize a more minimalist approach and highlight the rich beauty of the wood.
Cedar wood is strong, lightweight, and extremely versatile. These qualities lend well to carving, and result in a wood that can be used to create a wide variety of objects.
The Raven is regarded as the Hero, Creator, Transformer, and the most important of all creatures to the coastal First Nations peoples. He is also known as the Trickster because of his wit and sense of humor. His legendary antics were often motivated by insatiable greed, and he loved to tease, to cheat, to woo and to trick. In the oral traditions of the Northwest Coast, Raven is credited with releasing the Sun, and creating the Moon, Stars and the Universe. In Haida culture, Raven is also said to have discovered mankind in a clamshell.
Frogs symbolize new life, good fortune, stability, and communication. They are associated with great wealth and prosperity. As a creature that lives both in water and on land, the Frog is revered for its adaptability, knowledge, and ability to inhabit both natural and supernatural realms. Frogs are the primary spirit helpers of shamans, usually representing the common ground or voice of the people. As a prominent sharer of knowledge, Frog is often shown in artistic depictions as touching its tongue to another figure in an expression of sharing.
-
Past Works
The artist’s Past Works at our Gallery have now sold; however, a custom order may be possible if the artist is available and accepting commissions.
