After a career that has traversed 50 years, Haida artist Kihl鈥� Yahda Christian White is presenting his first major solo exhibition this February.

The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art in Vancouver is hosting the show鈥檚 opening on Feb.1 with White in attendance. The displays will be available to view until next year.

The featured artwork spans his entire career and includes collaborative pieces made with apprentices.

White was born on Haida Gwaii in 1962 and is of the Yahgulaanas Haida Raven Clan. He started carving argillite as a young boy of 14, guided by his father, Chief Eden Morris White. Within the following three years, he became a self-supporting full-time artist.

White has created a diverse body of work including intricate argillite carvings, wood-carved masks and boxes, gold and silver jewellery, poles and steamed cedar canoes. Over 40 pieces showcase his talent across various mediums, including carvings, regalia, prints, and video performances with the Tluu Xaada Naay Dance Group.

鈥淗is definitive style includes fine details, an elaborate use of inlays, and a narrative style that captures a specific moment in time rather than a static rendering of a myth. An ambidextrous carver, Christian White has the ability to carve both sides towards the middle,鈥� said on its website.

When he was 22, the University of British Columbia acquired his sculpture titled 鈥淩aven Dancer鈥� for its permanent collection at the Museum of Anthropology.

White鈥檚 work is distributed across the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Royal British Columbia Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, and is featured in the exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

鈥淐hristian鈥檚 style has influenced many emerging Haida artists, and his efforts have helped to establish an apprenticeship program and the future direction for Haida and northwest coast art,鈥� said the BC Achievement Foundation. 

Outside of his profession, White has actively participated in various aspects of Haida culture, including language, ceremonies, and cultural commissions. He has carved numerous totem poles for sites on Haida Gwaii.

A small collection of his pieces, all created before he turned 20, was donated to Saahlinda Naay (Haida Gwaii Museum) in Skidegate.

White is also a founding member of the Haida Repatriation Committee, an organization for which he has travelled extensively to help bring home the remains of more than 500 Haida ancestors. These ancestors were laid to rest with honour in their homeland of Haida Gwaii.

鈥淲e are thrilled to bring this highly anticipated showcase to life this winter, through the guest curation of Sdahl 岣粹�檃waas Lucy Bell, member of the Tsiits Gitanee Haida Eagle clan, along with her daughter Gudangee X蜔ahl Kil Amelia Rea, who is also Christian鈥檚 niece,鈥� said Bill Reid Gallery curator Aliya Boubard in a press release.