Susan Point was born in 1952 in Alert Bay, British
Columbia but was raised on the Musqueam First Nation Reservation in
Vancouver, B.C. She is a Coast Salish artist of international renown.
Point began her art career in 1981 with engravings on bracelets,
rings, pendants, earrings and barrens. Although many of her contemporaries
were producing designs that were representative of more northern
native groups, she chose to concentrate on the designs of her own
people. Consulting with her uncle, Professor Michael Kew, an anthropologist
at the University of British Columbia, Point began to investigate
traditional Coast Salish art forms. One of the forms that intrigued
her was the spindle whorl, a wooden disk, elaborately carved, which
was used in the spinning of wool.
In the 1990's, the artist began creating three-dimensional art
in materials such as glass, bronze, wood, concrete, polymer, stainless
steel, and cast iron. Due to her willingness to explore new media
and work on a large scale, Point has been awarded many public art
commissions, including building facades and large sculptures.
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