{"title":"Derek Wilson","description":"\u003cp\u003eDerek Wilson was born in 1950 in Kemano, British Columbia located along the central coast of the province. He was a hereditary Chief who comes from a long line of accomplished artisans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe was a member of the Haisla nation, a subgroup of the Heiltsuk, Kwagiulth people. Derek took the Killerwhale, revered for its great strength and skill as a hunter, as his predominant family crest symbol.\u003cbr\u003eDerek listed his uncle, Henry Robertson as his teacher. Henry was also a hereditary Chief and an accomplished and highly regarded wood carver. Derek stated that he began making Northwest Coast native art at the age of eight while learning about his heritage from his elders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1976, he progressed to carving silver and gold jewelry as an alternative to carving wood. In terms of jewelry carving, Derek was generally self-taught however; he did receive formal training in stone setting at Vancouver Community College in 1994.\u003cbr\u003eDerek’s attention to detail, his fine intricacy and design innovation, aided in establishing him as an accomplished Northwest Coast native artist. His style worked to preserve the traditions of his ancestors while being presented in a contemporary format.\u003cbr\u003eIn August of 2000, Derek, his brother Barry and his uncle Henry travelled to Sweden along with a replica pole on which the three carves had collaborated to produce. This replica pole was commissioned as a replacement for an existing G’psgoalux Haisla Totem Pole [C.1900] which resided in the Sweden Museum of Ethnology. Henry led the raising ceremony in Sweden, which was highly anticipated and well received by their Swedish counterparts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gold-bear-ring","title":"Gold Bear Ring","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Gold Bear Ring is hand-carved in 14-karat gold by Haisla artist Derek Wilson. It features a diamond in the eye and it is signed on the inside. It was acquired from a collection and is in good condition. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eBear\u003c\/strong\u003e Symbol represents strength, family, vitality, courage, and health. The bear is thoughtful and independent, with little need for fellowship. The bear is also self-contained and strong-willed in nature. A Bear is of great support and comfort to those who crave human company simply for personal reassurance rather than for the simple pleasure of being with friends. He makes lonely periods of life far easier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFind more information about and examples of\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/spiritsofthewestcoast.com\/collections\/the-bear-symbol\"\u003e The Bear\u003c\/a\u003e Northwest Coast First Nations symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe ring is a size 12 1\/4 and measures approximately 1\/2 inch or 1.5 centimeters high, tapering at the back to approximately 2\/8 inch or 0.5 centimeters high. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derek Wilson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51170484748603,"sku":null,"price":2700.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0768\/2931\/files\/DerekWilsonBearRing1.jpg?v=1776203560"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0768\/2931\/collections\/Beaver_argillite_pendant_1_881ddd82-2744-4907-b3cb-515b86880f74.jpg?v=1776203486","url":"https:\/\/spiritsofthewestcoast.com\/en-at\/collections\/derek-wilson.oembed","provider":"Spirits of the West Coast Art Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}