art smarts

Chapter 2. Artist Profiles

Koskas Billy Dan

"In Genesis it says we’re all created in God’s image. It’s the same in my way of life. We’re created to be creators. I like to think that I’m a creator: I create art that flows out of my mind and through my hands. Remember this and you can do a lot of beautiful art work."

Koskas Billy Dan is a stone and wood carver from the Stl’atl’imx Nation in Mount Currie, BC. He carves in many different materials, including exotic woods, soapstone, marble, bone and pipestone – an extremely hard black stone that has healing powers. Koskas’s sculptures are both figurative and abstract, inspired by traditional spiritual stories or simply by the feeling of the rock under his hands. He has been carving all his life, learning from the elders in his community. Koskas was born with asthma, and has had arthritis since 1985. Carving is one of the only ways Koskas can escape the pain from his arthritis.

Koskas has pursued many other lines of work during his life, but now he focuses on carving. This is both because his disability prevents him from doing other work and also because after some near-death asthma attacks he felt he had to pursue the best things in his life. He sells his carvings at craft fairs throughout BC and Alberta, as well as from his home studio. He is a member of the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability and is featured in their video, Gifts to Offer.

“My favourite thing to carve is stone – especially the softer stones – because when I’m filing them I can feel the ‘flow’ through my hands. It’s a special feeling when the carving is taking shape and I know that I’m creating art.”

Bernadine Fox