Artist
Thomas Sewid - Indigenous Artist
Thomas Sewid is a Kwakwaka’wakw/Cree First Nation who was born in Alert Bay off northeastern Vancouver Island in 1965. To this day Alert Bay is renowned for Kwakwaka’wakw native artists and their creations. He became interested in his people’s art as a boy watching the great carvers that are no longer with us creating. His father took him to the carving sheds to work and Tom would play or sleep in the cedar chips upon the floors.
These historic carvers such as Chief James Aul Sewid his grandfather, Gus Matilpi, Benjamin (Blackie) Dick, Andrew (Beanie) Beans instilled his desire to learn to carve and paint. Thirty years ago he sought guidance from Joe Wilson, Jerry Smith, Sandy Jacobson and to this day, learning from other well-known Kwakwaka’wakw artists.
Having been the Chairman of Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia and other First Nations organizations for decades, Thomas is well trained in marketing. As Chairman of Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia he and the organization he led helped incorporate the indigenous cultural component into the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. He uses what he learned in marketing as his approach in his creations that carry the elements of simplistic traditionalism created on unique mediums or subjects. He’s seen how his creations garner greater interest for west coast native art buyers and collectors.
The bowls he paints upon were made by the late master lathe turner Bill Luce. Please Google (Bill Luce lathe turner) to learn how all his bowls are collectors’ pieces. Thomas has over 1200 of his bowls with permission to paint his Kwakwaka’wakw designs upon. Not only are his bowls traditional and beautiful – they are great collectors’ pieces that one day shall be far more valuable.
Thomas has over 1000 bowls of varying sizes that were given to him by the late Bill Luce. Bill was a master lathe/bowl turner from Washington State. He passed and due to that each bowl comes with a Letter of Provenance for insurance and re-sale purposes. Some art dealers speculate that once Thomas is gone his bowls will be worth 8 to 20 times what the purchase price was. So as one see’s these bowls are no only works of art, but serious investment items.
Thomas specializes in the Sasquatch, which is known to the Kwakwaka’wakw People, as the Dzoonakwa. Thomas can create a custom Dzoonakwa design for you in variety of mediums, such as paintings, carvings, graphics, etc.
Sasquatch The Legend .Com store online and located in Forks Washington produces t-shirts, hoodies, coffee cups, shower curtains, bath mats, fridge magnets and Christmas ornaments with Thomas’s Sasquatch designs. Contact www.sasquatchthelegend.com to order an item with Thomas’s design or other things Sasquatch related they sell.
If your looking for that unique item to be created, a simple email with your desire and contact info so Thomas can call you to discuss creating something for you.
If you require a mural or a large item made, Thomas’s is experienced in creating big works of his art.
