About the IWI logo: Interview with Timothy Foster
The beautiful IWI logo was created by Gitxsan artist Timothy Foster. The team is honoured to have worked with Timothy and the design team at Indigenous Marketing Solutions. We asked a few questions to get to know about Timothy and what inspires his work.
Tell us a bit about yourself and where you’re from. What shaped or inspired your desire to become an artist?
I, Timothy Foster, am from the Lax Seel (Frog) Clan in the house of Niisto, within the Gitxsan Nation located on the Skeena River in the Northwest of British Columbia. Being a matrilineal nation, I follow under my mother’s clan, and it was my mother and three older sisters who helped raise me in a small neighbourhood in Hazelton on a street named Wiggins Way. As a young boy when staying with my father in his village of Kispiox, I was introduced to the late Walter E. Harris, OC, carving shop, "The Hiding Place," and fell in love with the smell of cedar instantly. That is where my young creative mind began to grow and take in the beautiful art and carvings of the Gitxsan.
Do you have a favourite body of water in your traditional territory?
My favourite body of water is a joining of two rivers which is the Kispiox river joining the Skeena River as this is where my father first took me fishing as a young boy and to this day I still love to visit.
Who has influenced your work, or continues to influence your work?
My late uncle Walter Harris has and will always be my biggest influence on me since a young boy.
Can you tell us about the Indigenous Watersheds Initiative logo design?
This particular logo was such an honour to create as I am a large supporter of all our watersheds here in BC. Their ecosystems and habitats are so vital to the health of our environment.
What would you tell emerging Indigenous artists?
To emerging artists I would say keep going and never give up and to not be so hard on one’s self as this world is tough enough as it is. We need to be building ourselves up and sharing our beautiful creations to this hard world to give it hope and love.
