FD: Galadzi

Galadzi

About the Artist: Francis Dick
Francis Dick - Galadzi
Edition Size: 100 signed and numbered, 10 artist's proofs, 10 remarques, 1 printer's proof
Print Number: 21/100
Colours: Forest green, light green, vermillion, grey, gold and black.
Paper: Stonehenge Cover White
Paper Size: 35 x 40.5 cm, 13.8 x 15.9 inches
Image Size: 32.5 x 37.5 cm, 12.8 x 14.8 inches
Publication Date: 01/01/2003
Galadzi
"When I designed this painting, I was living in the Kootenays, far from my family and my home. To make matters worse, I was preparing to travel even further. I had been invited to the United Arab Emirates for three and a half weeks to accompany 28 other women artists from around the world. We were to spend 10 days together exhibiting our work from our homelands.

This painting was completed before leaving on this trip.

Many years ago, I took a summer job working with three archaeologists at the original village site of the Nimpkish river. We spent five days there each week working throughout the day and boating back to Alert Bay for the weekend. We did this for two glorious months.

It was amazing to live by the river, seeing the Nimpkish Sockeye returning. The spiritual energy at the old village site was unbelievable. We heard voices of children playing and conversations in our language. At night, to protect our make shift kitchen from the bears we created an alarm of hanging pots and pans to alert us to our visitors, while noises and voices of people in canoes that weren't there echoed in the night. The experience was unforgettable.

This was the experience I thought about the most while living in the Kootenays. This painting is representative of that time in my life. The spirit of the ancestors is depicted in the painting of the bear, and the salmon that returns to the River Gwani (Nimpkish River). It is an honouring of that time, that place, and the people with whom I shared that extraordinary experience.

- Francis Dick


This limited edition silkscreen print titled "Galadzi" by Francis Dick was hand produced by the screen printing process. It is the only limited edition printing of this design. The artist has inspected and signed each copy in the edition. All trial copies of this edition have been destroyed and the printing stencils obliterated.