RED: A Haida Manga
Artist
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
MediumBox Set of 18 Limited Edition Giclees on Watercolor Paper. A limited edition book of RED: A Haida Manga--with original sketch and pull-out—is included with the box set. Each giclee is hand signed and numbered by the artist, on hand-torn paper.
Dimensions20 x 26 1/2 in. (50.8 x 67.3 cm)
ClassificationsPrint
Credit LineSeattle Public Utilities 1% for Art Portable Works Collection
Yagulanaas' artistic practice crosses diverse cultures, generations, and disciplines Haida Manga is the innovative combination of Haida formline design and Japanese comics (manga) to create a pan-Pacific narrative art form.
The plot is based on a story from Yahgulanaas' family. Red is a red-haired orphan boy growing up on Haida Gwaii. When Jaada, his sister is captured by raiders from another village, he swears to recover her. Red becomes leader of his village, but can think of nothing but his missing sister, and brings his people to the brink of war and disaster in his quest for revenge.
Sheet 6: top three panels: Traders who have come to the village try to drum up sales: they hope to convince the villagers they need weapons to protect themselves.
Sheet 6: bottom three panels: Red, obsessed with recovering his sister, paddles out each day in search of the village of raiders. He finds a man abandoned on a rock. He is an inventor whose village cast him out because of his violent ideas. Red takes him in-he will be useful in his quest to recover Jaada.
