Luke Parnell is Laxgiik (Eagle) from Wilps Kwa’kaans on his mother side and Haida from Massett on his Fathers side, his Nisga’a name is Guxw Gahlgan (always carving). Northwest coast Indigenous art is the basis of his practice with a focus on narrative; specifically transformation narratives.

My work has always been reactionary to contemporary issues while having a firm foothold in the past. In preparing for this exhibition I had grand ideas for new artworks, carvings, paintings etc. While I was contemplating these objects, I drew: I drew designs for things that were never made, I drew comics about memory and nostalgia, I drew superheroes, dragons, characters from stories I’ll write, and a few self portraits. As my exhibition grew closer I worried that my grand plans were becoming untenable, they were applying pressure, so I drew. And when I looked back at my months of preparation I realized I had created a series of drawings that all in there own way were a journal. Some are dead ends, some are fully realized complex ideas, and some are there to bring joy. Art I made while not making the Art I intended to make became the Art I wanted to make.

Luke Parnell’s name is Guxw Gahlgan (always carving) and is Laxgiik (eagle) from Wilps Kwa’kaans. His mother is Nisga’a from Gingolx and his father was Haida from Massett. Parnell has been a carver for over 20 years and though his primary medium is wood, his medium is determined on a project by project basis.

His practice explores the relationship between Northwest Coast Indigenous oral histories and Northwest Coast Indigenous art, centering on narrative with specific focus on transformation narratives. Research is the basis of those explorations. He creates his artworks in order to understand these histories and concepts and their relationship to contemporary events.