‘I Use My Haida Eyes’ exhibition brings Hazel Wilson’s history robes to public view
A major new exhibition celebrating the work of late Haida artist Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson will open at the Audain Gallery in Vancouver on May 14, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience nearly the entire collection of her acclaimed “history robes” together for the first time.
Titled I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson, the exhibition runs through Oct. 12, 2026, and explores a singular body of work created between 2005 and 2006 by Wilson, who dedicated her life to Haida cultural work before her death in 2016.
The exhibition centers on 51 richly detailed robes that recount pivotal moments in Haida history from a Haida perspective. Through painted and appliquéd imagery, Wilson documents stories ranging from ancestral narratives and pre-contact life to encounters with European explorers and personal memories of gathering and harvesting on the lands of Haida Gwaii.
Curators say the works continue to resonate nearly two decades after their creation because of their unflinching engagement with colonial history and its ongoing impact on Indigenous peoples and settlers alike. At the same time, the robes emphasize the resilience of Haida communities, their systems of knowledge, and enduring relationships with their territory.
Wilson’s robes challenge conventional artistic categories by drawing on the traditions of Northwest Coast button blankets — ceremonial robes often bearing family or clan crests — while also incorporating elements of history painting and folk art. The works are presented not simply as textiles or wall hangings, but as innovative expressions of Indigenous storytelling and cultural continuity.
The exhibition marks the first time most of the robes, many of which have never before been publicly displayed, will be shown together as a unified series, allowing audiences to experience Wilson’s original artistic vision in full.
