Danika Saunders (nee Naccarella) was born August 21st, 1997 in Vancouver, BC. Danika is Nuxalk, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, Italian & Russian descent. Danika’s art practice is disciplined in the traditional forms and rules of Northwest coast formline design, with contemporary applications. Currently Danika is a full time artist, working from her home studio. Focusing on handpoke tattooing, digital drawing, jewelry, acrylic painting, and custom commissions.
During her younger years Danika grew up disconnected from her culture, and family in Vancouver. Her parents both faced intergenerational trauma and coped with drugs and alcohol. When times were hard, Danika could be found quietly colouring and creating art to escape her harsh reality. Growing up in the care of different family & friends, she attended many different elementary schools, never staying in one place too long. Danika moved home to Bella Coola in 2010 at the age of 12, to live with her mother. It was at this time when Danika was immersed into her Nuxalk culture while she attended Acwsalcta School. Learning language, history, traditional foods, mask dance, songs and Nuxalk art. In highschool Danika could be found in the art room whenever she finished her academic classes early, it was here that her passion for Nuxalk art ignited. Having a variety of talented Nuxalk artist teachers share their knowledge and skills helped provide Danika a solid foundation in Northwest Coast, Nuxalk art. With the guidance of her teachers Danika set off to attend the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art in Terrace, BC after graduating highschool at the age of 16.
Attending the Freda Diesing program in 2014 Danika studied under instructors Stan Bevan, Ken McNeil, Dean Heron, Latham Mack and Dempsey Bob. The program teaches the fundamentals of drawing Northwest Coast formline design, tool making, wood carving, as well as history, gallery experience and public speaking. During her first year of studies her classmate and close friend Kelli Clifton took Danika under her wing and supported her in applying for the British Columbia Arts Council Scholarship, and the YVR Art Foundation Youth Scholarship, awarded to her in 2015. Danika also received the President’s Award in 2015 from Coast Mountain College (formerly Northwest Community College). After completing the Freda Diesing program in 2016, with her diploma in First Nations Fine Arts, Danika moved back home to Bella Coola to help support the Acwsalcta School Nuxalk art program assisting teaching Kindergarten to Grade 12 students (til September 2021). Working for her community has brought great satisfaction and fulfilment to Danika, and has been a pivotal role in her career.
In the summer of 2017 Danika was encouraged by Kelli to apply for the Earthline Tattoo Training Residency. It was during these 4 short weeks that Danika & 5 other indigenous artists from across Canada became qualified cultural tattoo practitioners. Learning design application, cultural safety, and health aspect of hand poke and skin stitch tattooing from the instructors Dion Kaszas, Amy Malbeuf, and Jordan Bennett. With appearances by other tattoo artists Pip Hartley (Māori), Nakkita Trimble, Dean Hunt and Nahaan. Danika has since continued to practise hand poke tattooing as one of her main mediums to create her art.
Danika is the inaugural recipient of the Crabtree McLennan Emerging Artists Award received in 2017, acknowledged by the BC Achievement Foundation. In 2018 the First People’s Cultural Council awarded Danika with an individual artists grant to mentor under Morgan Asoyuf. Danika spent time in Morgan’s home studio learning how to create 3D hollow built jewellery. First People’s Cultural Council partnered with BC Ferries in 2018 to commission 2 artists to design artwork that would adorn The Northern Seawolf vessel that runs between Bella Coola and Port Hardy. Danika’s art was selected to be showcased on the inside of the ferry. In 2020 Danika was featured on APTN’s series Skindigenous, season 3 episode 12.
Danika married her husband Sesyaz Saunders in 2021, when Ses raised the first totem pole he carved, on his traditional territory of Kimsquit in honour of his family. Sesyaz and Danika have been together for 10+ years now. Sesyaz is a 4th generation carver, as well as an avid hunter, fisherman and knowledge holder, trained by his father & hereditary chief Ximximlayc Saunders. Sesyaz studies under world-renowned Haida artist Robert Davidson.
In 2022 Danika was awarded the YVR Art Foundation Youth Scholarship for a second time. For her project she mentored under Robert Davidson where she learned how to design, apply and paint onto an intricately woven cedar hat (woven by Marlene Liddle). Recently in July 2024, Danika attended the Wachiay Studio Artist Residency in Courtenay, Alongside her best friend Shawna Kiesman. At Wachiay Studio Danika and Shawna had hands-on training learning the process of serigraph printmaking, including coating screens, exposing images on screens, setting up printing stations, mixing paint, and hand pulling their own serigraph prints on paper and clothing. Danika’s artist residency travel was graciously supported by Canada Council for the Arts Travel Grant.