Raven in Tree
$2,250.00
Available
Description
‘Raven in Tree’ by Roy Henry Vickers – First Nations Northwest Tsimshian Artist presented by DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts.
Artist’s Description: “In a time when darkness covered the land, a boy named Weget is born who is destined to bring the light. With the gift of a raven skin that allows him to fly as well as transform, Weget turns into a bird and journeys from Haida Gwaii into the sky. There he finds the Chief of the Heavens who keeps the light in a box. How will clever Weget trick the Chief and escape with the daylight back down to Earth.
Vividly portrayed through the art of Roy Henry Vickers, Weget’s story has been passed down for generations. The tale has been traced back at least 3,000 years by archeologists who have found images of Weget’s journey in petroglyphs on the Nass and Skeena rivers. This version of the story originates from one told to the author by Chester Bolton, Chief of the Ravens, from the village of Kitkatla around 1975.” — Roy Henry Vickers
Notes from DaVic Gallery
A Milestone Literary & Exhibition Provenance: Created in April 2013, Raven in Tree is an essential visual pillar of Roy Henry Vickers’ celebrated artistic legacy. This magnificent serigraph was developed alongside the creation of the national bestselling book Raven Brings the Light. It captures a quiet, emotionally heavy moment of transition right before the mythological hero, Weget, alters the course of human history.
The Silhouette of Introspection: Vickers commands the composition using his world-renowned minimalist graphic language. A stark, pitch-black silhouette of a barren tree trunk cuts vertically down the left field, extending a single heavy branch across the horizon line. Perched gracefully on this branch is the Raven, his gaze locked towards the unseen horizon.
Look closely at the body of the bird: subtle, low-contrast black-on-dark-grey formlines outline the wing feathers and breast plates, revealing the ancient Salish and Tsimshian design grammar tucked inside a modern landscape template. Behind the dark silhouette, the sky employs a flawless, seamless color graduation, transitioning from a crisp, clear sub-arctic azure blue down into a heavy, glowing sun-gold yellow. This dramatic atmospheric lighting serves as a brilliant visual foreshadowing of the daylight box that Raven is destined to open.
Ghost Forms in the Sky: A hidden hallmark of Vickers’ highest-tier works is the inclusion of “shadow” or “ghost” imagery printed in transparent gloss layers directly into the sky. In the upper right quadrant of the gradient field, a massive, subtle ancestral face or eye structure is faintly visible depending on how the light strikes the print. This masterfully implies that while the world sits in physical darkness, the spiritual eyes of the ancestors are actively watching over Weget’s journey.
Advanced Collector’s Pedigree: This original serigraph was meticulously hand-pulled on premium heavyweight Coventry rag paper under the close personal supervision of the master artist. With a highly restrictive, long-exhausted primary edition run capped at just 80 impressions worldwide, secondary market opportunities are exceedingly rare.
This specific catalog asset is highly desirable and comes beautifully mounted and displayed within custom professional gallery black framing. Arriving in pristine, investment-grade archival condition, this piece is fully ready to act as a historic, narrative anchor for high-end corporate or private contemporary collections.
Scale Reference: The blank sheet of letter-size (8 ½ x 11 inch) paper covering part of the image in the scale documentation photo is provided for exact reference, demonstrating the striking balance, vertical scale, and versatile architectural display qualities of this fine framed print.
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.