Chan Polchies
[ WABANAKI ARTIST: 2021, 2022, 2023 ]
The Fox and the Distributary, Chased Copper, Moose Leather, 12.5” x 12.5” $1800
Wampum Belt (Salmon Fishing Bear) Chased Copper, Leather, Beads. SOLD
Chan Polchies is a Two-Spirit Indigenous artist from Woodstock First Nation. They started their career at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design studying both Aboriginal Arts and Jewelry/Metal Arts. Their work combines leather, traditional loom beading, and chased/repoussé metal. They hand form metal with a technique called Chasing and Repoussé. Chasing is a technique in which metal is hammered from the front to sink the metal, and Repousse is a similar technique but instead the metal is hammered from the reverse side to create a low relief design.
Creating art connects them with their culture and lets them tell stories in a tactile form. They love telling stories because they feel storytelling is important in educating people on culture and history, or in having something that conveys feelings.
Chan’s work was displayed in the Sterling Jewelry/Metal Arts Student Annual Exhibition in 2016-2017, the Momentum Advanced Studio Practice exhibition in 2018, the Wabanaki Exhibition in 2020-2021 and the Kmawqupiyapon (we are sitting in the same circle) Exhibition, 2022. They were the recipient of the 2017 Brilliant Award from the NBCCD Student Metalsmith Competition. They also attended the Kingsbrae International Residency for the Arts.