This 40-foot serpent sculpture in Vancouver is a reclamation of Squamish and Japanese art
Artists say Sínulhḵay sculpture is about placemaking, hoping to inspire curiosity in people
James Nexw'Kalus-Xwalacktun Harry, a Squamish artist, and Lauren Brevner of Japanese and Trinidadian heritage, have been collaborating on art pieces for a decade.
The pair are partners in life and welcomed their daughter into the world two years ago. They thought of her as they pitched their latest public art project: a 40-foot sculpture of a two-headed snake located at the intersection of Granville Street and West Broadway, in Vancouver's Fairview neighbourhood.
The double-headed serpent, Sínulhḵay, is a supernatural being from a Squamish Nation story, and the sculpture was made using Japanese materials.
The piece, they say, will allow their daughter to see her cultures represented in the mainstream.
"When we were talking about what was important to us, it always came back to her, how we want her to walk in her power and be represented in this world," Brevener said.
"We wanted her to know who she is, so we created a body of work around that."
The project was selected through a competitive process. Harry and Brevner curated the piece based on the Squamish story and a team of designers and fabricators at Area 58 Innovation Inc. in Langley built it.
A warrior and a snake
The serpent's two heads represent the good and the bad in life.
In the story, a young warrior named Xwechtáal is tasked with killing the double-headed serpent because it is scaring away the animals. Xwechtáal has the option of slaying the serpent's good head or bad head.
If he slayed the good head, he could take all the power for himself. If he slayed the bad head, it would bring back all of the animals.
The story is a lesson in dealing with greed, Harry said.
The piece took three years to create and will be unveiled to the public in July.
"It's an amazing feeling honestly, we couldn't be more proud to be selected for this. For me personally, it feels like an enormous win for Coast Salish art and identity being represented in prominent places in our city," Harry told CBC's On The Coast.
Japanese cedar
The pair said they took a trip to Japan before they pitched the project, where they drew inspiration for the piece.
Red cedar was hand carved and burned inside of the sculpture — a traditional Japanese wood preservation method known as Yakisugi that is used as a fire protectant. It also protects the wood from insects, fungi and mold, and can make it water-resistant — ideal for rainy Vancouver weather.
On the outside of the sculpture, metal cladding wraps around the column from the top to bottom, with tapered edges at each end representing the heads of the serpent.
'Rooted in the land'
Harry said he grew up hearing stories about the double-headed serpent from his father, Xwalacktun, who is a master carver in the Squamish Nation, and thought that it deserved to be represented in a notable Vancouver space.
As part of the story, local nations say the serpent slithered down the Stawamus Chief Mountain, leaving behind a black line that can still be seen today.
"We wanted to tell those stories that are rooted in the land and bring them to life," Harry said.
He said he isn't a traditional storyteller but wanted to share the details to provide context to those who view the Sínulhḵay sculpture. He hopes it sparks people's curiosity to learn more about Coast Salish culture.
"Ultimately, this is about placemaking," Brevner said. "When you go to the big cities around the world, you land there and you know where you are."
In Vancouver, she said, visitors don't always know they're on Indigenous territories.
"Because of what's happened here, I don't think we're at that point. The more art that goes up from this territory, I hope that people can look at these works and want to learn more about the story of Sínulhḵay," Brevner said.
The duo collaborated on a double-headed serpent mural back in 2018 that was well loved on West Broadway, but the building it was on was torn down.
Their new sculpture is located in the same area, which they say brings the spirit of the double-headed serpent back to the neighborhood.
And because the serpent is known for its underground digging in the Squamish story, the artists say it's fitting that it's located next to the new underground Granville SkyTrain station, set to open in two years.
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With files from On The Coast