Wilson, Lyle (1955 - )

Lyle Giles Wilson grew up in the northern coastal communities of Kitamaat Village and Kitimat. As a young person, he enjoyed watching his uncle, Sam Robinson, create carvings out of wood. Later he attended the University of BC and the Emily Carr School of Art and Design, where he was educated in European art traditions, using perspective and contour lines. At UBC, Wilson was exposed to the wealth of Northwest Coast art contained in museums. He studied artifacts and learned from practicing artists. He apprenticed, briefly, with Russell Smith, Derek Wilson and Beau Dick. He also experimented with a range of media to explore the boundaries of the northern tradition. Wilson creates jewelry, metalwork, paintings, drawings and carvings. He worked as Project Consultant in the development of the Canadian Museum of Civilization's Grand Hall exhibition, and worked for many years as artist-in-residence at the UBC Museum of Anthropology.