Pat Wesley

  Patrick is the son of Chief Charles Wesley and Caroline Wesley. He has distinguished himself as a highly skilled carver. His mastery of the traditional Haida art form comes not only from his rich heritage, but also from years of hands-on experience in a variety of mediums.

         In 1978, when he was 18 years old, Wesley began to carve argillite, the soft black slate that is unique to Haida Gwaii. Soon after, he began to design jewelry using both gold and silver. Wesley worked on the Bill Reid canoe "Lootaas," which was built for Expo '86, where he also demonstrated argillite carving. 

        In 1990, Wesley added printmaking to his artistic repertoire and since that time he has produced many prints, original paintings, logos and graphic insignia. He designed and carved a large cedar plaque depicting a Wasco sea monster with two captured killer whales which now welcomes visitors to the Spirit Lake Trail in Skidegate. He continues to make artwork in Haida Gwaii and is known for his beautiful argillite carvings.