Rande Cook in Shapeshifters at SJIMA: Bridging Worlds Through Contemporary Vision

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) is proud to feature the work of West Coast Kwakwaka’wakw MFA artist Rande Cook in the exhibition Shapeshifters, on view now through September 15, 2025, in the Nichols, North, and Atrium Galleries. Cook’s practice embodies the spirit of transformation that the exhibition celebrates, seamlessly moving between traditional forms and contemporary expression.

(from left): Rande Cook's Salmon Run, red cedar, acrylic; and Beyond the Mask, yellow cedar, horse hair.

Born in 1977 in Alert Bay, British Columbia, and raised by his grandparents, Cook belongs to the Namgis, Ma’amtagila, and Mamalilikala tribes. He is a hereditary chief of the Ma’amtagila people and carries forward the ceremonial and cultural responsibilities of his lineage. From an early age, Cook was immersed in the richness of Kwakwaka’wakw heritage—his grandfather, a chief and an artist, was a profound influence. Through drawing, carving, and storytelling, Cook absorbed lessons that continue to shape his life and art today.

Tradition and Innovation

Cook’s training spans both ancestral and academic worlds. He apprenticed under renowned master carvers and jewelry makers, learning traditional techniques of wood carving, mask making, and bentwood box design. He later earned his MFA from the University of Victoria, where he also held the Audain Professorship of Contemporary Art Practice of the Pacific Northwest. His work has been exhibited internationally, from the Museum of Arts and Design in New York to major galleries across Canada. 

“I want to create art that connects with people. And I can use my art form to bring cultures together so we can celebrate diversity. And that's where I've been heavily focused for a long time”. - Rande Cook

Works in Shapeshifters

At SJIMA, visitors encounter several of Cook’s striking works, including Sisiutl, Beyond the Mask, and Salmon Run. Each piece reveals his ability to weave traditional teachings with contemporary approaches.

Rande Cook, Sisiutl, red cedar and acrylic.

Sisiutl - red cedar, acrylic.

The double-headed serpent, Cook explains, is a figure of balance. Traditionally placed over doorways, it protects by harmonizing the positive and negative, creating neutral space for those passing through.

Salmon Run - red cedar, acrylic. (view at top of this page)

Movement and flow animate this carving, reflecting the collective strength and grace of salmon swimming together—an image deeply tied to ecological and cultural continuity.

Beyond the Mask - yellow cedar, horse hair.  (view at top of this page)

A contemporary female figure, this sculpture bridges Cook’s early figurative practice with his Kwakwaka’wakw heritage. In works like this, he draws on Renaissance influences and European traditions while remaining rooted in Northwest Coast form. The result is a powerful fusion that challenges expectations of Indigenous art.

His work, like the exhibition itself, invites us to reimagine art not as fixed tradition or purely contemporary invention, but as an ongoing dialogue. Cook brings ancestral stories forward in forms that resonate across boundaries—cultural, temporal, and emotional.

Experience More

Watch Rande Cook’s full interview with SJIMA Trustee and Docent Coordinator/Educator Marney Reynolds, embedded below. In his own words, Cook shares the inspirations, responsibilities, and experiments that guide his path.

In this 17-minute interview, Rande Cook shares insights into his journey and artistic vision.

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Shapeshifters is on view at SJIMA through September 15, 2025. The museum is open Thursday through Monday, 11 AM – 5 PM. Learn more at www.sjima.org.

SJIMA extends heartfelt thanks to the generous Shapeshifters Exhibition sponsors: Banner Bank, Barbara & Frank Fagan, Terry Lush & Linda Nelson, Alan & Lynn Weber/Roochvarg, Anonymous, Browne’s Home Center, Friday Harbor Suites, Harbor Rentals, Printonyx, and Terry Ogle Painting.