Jay Simeon

Jay Simeon was born July 27^th, 1976 in Fort McCloud, Alberta, British Columbia.  At age 14 Jay launched his artistic journey by learning the principles of formline design from his mentor—and aunt—Sharon Hitchcock. Hitchcock worked extensively with Master Haida carver Bill Reid designing and painting his canoe, “Lootas,” and Jay credits her as one of his major artistic influences. After his introduction to the art form, Jay spent a couple of years working strictly with painting and drawing to gain a firmer understanding of the rules governing formline design before attempting any work in three-dimensional media. His initial forays into sculpture began with yellow cedar masks, and a model pole. Shortly after this, Jay fell in love with argillite.

Mined from Haida Gwaii, argillite stone is used exclusively by Haida peoples. Jay feels that his work in argillite maintains the thread of his ancestral heritage, continuing what was handed down to him by his elders and honoring his people. Jay also takes pleasure in the feel and workability of the stone; he says it is like no other. Jay’s work is unarguably some of the most skilful being carved in argillite today: In 2008 he was chosen to be one of only fourteen artists featured in Carol Sheehan’s book, Breathing Stone.

Jay Simeon’s art is now on par with that of Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, and Christian White. His imaginative and impossibly graceful and complex designs are carved with perfect precision and skill. His most recent work, Haida Totem Argillite Bracelet, is a true masterwork: its characters are rendered in detail so minute that the use of a magnifying glass is necessary to appreciate their full extent.

Among his influences, Jay includes the following: Uncles George and John Yeltatazie, who are master argillite carvers, Fred Davis, Rick Atkins, Christian White, Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Don Yeomans and Phillip Gray.