In a gorgeously illustrated exploration of the art of Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Mischief Making, written by Nicola Levell, disproves any notion that play is frivolous. 

Yahgulanaas' distinctive art style stretches, twists and flips the form lines of classic Haida art to create imagery that resonates with the graphic vitality of Asian manga. Mischief Making delineates the evolution of the artist’s visual practice into a unique hybrid aesthetic, uncovering its philosophical underpinnings. Initially focused on paper-based narratives, his work has expanded into painted canvases, mixed-media installations, repurposed automobile parts, large-scale public art projects and animated forms. Yet despite its mutability, Yahgulanaas’s art is consistently engaged with contemporary cultural concerns, investigating the intersections of Indigenous and other worldviews, the politics of land, cultural heritage and global ecological affairs.

This engaging and beautiful book delineates the philosophical underpinnings and evolution of the artist’s visual practice, revealing his deep understanding of the seriousness of play.

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The Author, Nicola Levell, is a curator and an associate professor of the museum and visual anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

The subject, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, is a visual artist and author. Influenced by both Haida iconography and contemporary Asian visual culture, he is the creator of Haida manga, an artistic genre that crosses cultures and disciplines.

• UBC Press Publishing, 2021
• Paperback, 168 pages
• 9 x 11"