Northern Style Canoe Hat with Double Whale Design
by Paul Rowley, Tlingit and Haida
plaited red cedar, acrylic paint
9” h x 15” diameter
Paul Rowley was born in Seattle, Washington in 1977 and is an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida tribes of Alaska, and a descendant of the Blackfeet and Cree of Montana. Paul has primarily lived in the Columbia River Gorge, the Flathead Valley, and Portland Oregon. His first interest in textiles was through net making, the machined-like quality, repetition and uniformity combined both artistic craft and functionality which he has applied to hat making.
Paul's first introduction to weaving was in 2008 by Suquamish weaver Kippie Joe. After his first few traditional style hats he began to weave contemporary styled hats and was inspired to seek out natural local materials for his work such as eel grass. He also incorporates sweetgrass to represent his plains heritage to accompany his Northwest Coast roots. He has been inspired by weavers that push the possibilities of weaving, while maintaining cultural traditions by weavers such as Lisa Telford, Carl Irving, and Cubby Martin.
Hats by Paul have been recently featured in fashion shows with Native inspired clothing from designers Sho Sho Esquiro, Dorothy Grant and Pendleton.
