We wanted to send a huge thank you to our friend Curtis Wilson for his design of the Octopus. We have our Traditional Foods Conference logo from the past 3 years but wanted someone local to add to our designs this year. We were so excited when we saw the design Curtis had created. I asked Curtis about what he knew of the Octopus and its meaning in his family:
“The Octopus is a remarkable, unique, eight armed sea creature. Its transformative nature is represented by its natural ability to incorporate its body into its surroundings and its means of capturing and devouring its prey. It has the ability to change colour, shape and even texture, as well as to eject dark ink in self-defence.
Myths speak of giant devilfish monsters that occasionally devour canoes and sometimes even entire villages. Octopus is a powerful potential sea spirit helper, often shown in complex compositions involving other creatures. In some tribal cultures, eight is considered a magic and auspicious number, which adds to the appeal and power of Octopus. Octopus is a servant of Kumugwe’, chief of the undersea world, and is also a symbol of great wealth in Kwakwaka’wakw mythology.”
We thank Curtis again for his knowledge and talent! You can find out more information about Curtis and his work at:
Mulidzas-Curtis Wilson – Website: http://www.curtiswilson.ca/