Kitkatla Sunset

Description

‘Kitkatla Sunset’ by Roy Henry Vickers – First Nations Northwest Tsimshian Artist presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.

Artist’s Description:  “I have an awesome relative, Cyril Aster, from my home village in Kitkatla, BC. Cyril is one of those incredible outdoors men who grew up the way I did on the ocean. He’s always watching and aware of the beautiful world he lives in. Cyril was returning to the village one day at sunset and captured one of our beautiful sunsets over Kitkatla Inlet.

I was working on images for a new book called, ‘If You Want to Visit A Sea Garden’, by Kay Weisman and illustrated by yours truly. When the folks at Anansi Press saw the image of Kitkatla Sunset inspired by Cyril Aster they wanted it to be the cover photo.

While I was working on the image of the sunset a memory of being in the rowboat with my grandpa, Henry Vickers, came to me. I spent so many wonderful hours with my Grandpa and mentor and the teachings he passed on to me have inspired me for my entire career as an artist.

I was out in the rowboat with him one day and I heard the church bells across the water. It was Sunday morning. As I helped row the boat I realized that I never saw my Grandpa in church. I asked him why he never went to church. Grandpa looked at the sky, the trees and the ocean then turned to me and said, ‘This is my church’.

Kitkatla Sunset reminds me that nature is sacred and today my Grandpa’s sacred place is also mine and he’s with me when I’m out there.” — Roy Henry Vickers, September 2020.

Notes from DaVic Gallery

A Distinctive Literary & Visual Masterwork:  Published in June 2020, Kitkatla Sunset stands as one of the most culturally visible and recognizable contemporary compositions by Roy Henry Vickers, famously selected by Anansi Press as the definitive cover illustration for the acclaimed book If You Want to Visit A Sea Garden. This original serigraph represents a rare cross-section of personal biography, landscape photography inspiration, and ancestral mentorship.

 The Precision of the Horizon Line:  Visually, the print showcases Vickers’ globally celebrated mastery of clean, hard-edged minimalist line work and complex ink transitions. The composition is built on a commanding horizontal plane, split into two parallel worlds of light and water. Across the top, a flawless, unbroken sky transitions from an intense, deep ocean-blue down to a luminous, sun-charged saffron glow along the horizon.

Below the dark, silhouetted landmass of Kitkatla Inlet, the water mimics this transition through precise, geometric bands of blue and grey. This linear structure creates a powerful optical illusion of infinite distance and perfect stillness. Dead center in this pathway of golden-hour light rests a single solitary figure rowing a boat—a poetic visual representation of the artist’s grandfather, serving as a reminder that nature is the ultimate sacred cathedral.

Pristine Printmaking Pedigree: This fine art piece was meticulously hand-pulled using traditional screen-printing techniques, with the artist personally steering the layout process, verifying stencils, and hand-signing each impression. The entire historic printing run was strictly limited to:

• 80 Signed and Numbered copies
• 8 Artist’s Proofs
• 8 Remarques
• 2 Printer’s Proofs
• 5 Conservation Proofs

This specific piece is an exceptional acquisition opportunity because it bears the highly sought-after, low-number designation Print #7 of 80.

Scale Reference: The blank sheet of letter-size (8 ½ x 11 inch) paper covering part of the image in the final catalog image is utilized exclusively for exact scale reference, demonstrating the expansive horizontal presence and architectural display properties of this exquisite work on Coventry paper.

Copyright Note

© DaVic Art Gallery, 2026. All rights reserved. Content may be quoted or reproduced for educational or promotional purposes only with clear attribution to DaVic Art Gallery of Native Canadian Arts and inclusion of the original artwork title and artist’s name.