Salish Lady
Created by Dahlila Charlie
Acrylic painting on wood
October 2020
“While creating this piece based around #representationmatters prompt I wanted to create a portrait of this Salish lady in my style. She is standing in a stance that says I am strong, resilient and can conquer anything. This is a theme I have been working with recently creating these Salish Woman characters that embody these traits because I feel like it’s something that I am learning how to cultivate and incorporate into my art work” - Dahlila Charlie
“Art to me is a way to share my culture, and heritage where I come from. I was always told that it’s important to know where you come from and have pride in who you are because indigenous people are strong and to have respect for one another but also respect for the land and the ocean so creating art helps me remember all of that”
About the Artist
Based in Victoria, BC
My Name is Dahlila Charlie and I am from Beecher Bay. I grew up surrounded by artistic and creative people which has inspired me to become an artist myself. The type of art work I like to create I draw from stories, myths and cultural teachings that incorporate Coast Salish formline with nature and realism in acrylic paint medium. Painting has always been a passion of mine I like creating personal artworks, as well as participating in different mural projects in Victoria. Through my artwork I can connect to my roots as an Indigenous woman and use it as a way to share my thoughts and ideas to evolve an artist.