About the Artists

Born into the Musqueam First Nation, Chris Sparrow grew up on a boat, fishing with his late grandfather, Lyle Sparrow. Chris went up and down the coast every fishing season, prawning, hunting and learning the traditional values of our Salish seas. With the guidance of his father, Irvin Sparrow, he finished his first carving at the age of nine. His carving was also influenced by master carvers like Wayne Young. Chris’ visions and inspiration come from things he has seen on his fishing trips. Chris now works with many mediums and loves the challenge of new ideas and projects.

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Chrystal Sparrow is a Musqueam Coast Salish artist who lives in Vancouver, BC, on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She comes from a long line of Coast Salish artists, weavers and carvers. Her late father, Irving Sparrow, was a master carver that passed down the tradition to Chrystal and her brother, Christopher. Sparrow works in mediums of red and yellow cedar, metal, leather and acrylics, and has completed commissions for the Vancouver School Board (2018), Starbucks Canada and the Broadway Youth Centre (2017) and the City of Vancouver (2016). In 2018, she also became the first Coast Salish artist to work in the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh (MST) Cultural Residency in Stanley Park.