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Randy Wisla Biography
Born in Vanderhoof, British Columbia,
Canada in 1970, Randy is descendant from
a long line of Northwest Coast jewellery
carvers. As a member of the Carrier Nation,
Saik’uz band, Randy has spent his entire
life devoted to learning Northwest Coast
cultural art. At an early age, Randy began
drawing and excelled in art class in
elementary and secondary school.
In his twenties, Randy began apprenticing with his well-known
master carver father, Charles Harper. For years, Randy learned
about Northwest Coast art, formlines, metalwork techniques and
studio management from his father. Randy has never looked
backed and has carried on to carve out a highly successful
career as a Northwest Coast jewellery designer in Vancouver.
For over fifteen years, Randy has been designing wearable,
fashionable, stylish and masterful Northwest Coast jewellery in
silver, gold, platinum and copper. Actors such as Steven Segal,
Tantoo Cardinal and Adam Beach all own and wear Randy Wisla
Northwest Coast original designed jewellery.
Randy is proud of his career in Northwest Coast jewellery
design and, in particular, is proud of his two beautiful teenage
daughters.
Randy fused traditional Northwest coast jewellery design and techniques with a
contemporary and signatory style. Formline designs are found in Northwest Coast art
and are strongly linked to stories, clans, crests and the Native cultures in British
Columbia, Canada. Figures, motifs and elements of Northwest coast art forms are
intertwined with cultural protocols inherent in traditional jewellery designs. All the
techniques of Northwest Coast jewellery design belong to the art form itself and it is
Randy’s signature style
Wearable hand carved Northwest coast silver jewellery is a must in this territory. Since
the 2010 Winter Olympics where our Northwest Coast art and culture was prominently
featured, it has become a stylized fashion in Vancouver and other major cities along the
West Coast.
The quality of Randy’s workmanship is evident in the formlines, symmetry, and all
phases of production from conceptualization to finishing and finally exhibition. The
cross hatching, formlines, u joints and ovoids are all technical elements of Northwest
Coast jewellery design. However, Randy’s signatory style separates his artwork in the
field of excellence, mastery and high-quality of workmanship.