John Sabourin
Q: Tell us about your childhood.
"When I was young, my family used to go up and down the Mackenzie, to Trout River, to Nahanni Butte. We would pitch our tent in a new place every couple of days.
When I was nine I began to draw. I went outside and drew my brother's truck. People walking by stopped and said: 'Beautiful.'
Q: When did you start carving?
When I was older I did a printmaking course in Kinngait. Walking along the street, I would pass famous carvers - with their angle grinders, files, hammers, chisels - cutting serpentine.
They didn't have studios, so they were out in -40 degree cold, wearing heavy clothing.
Q: What was your inspiration?
My girlfriend, now my wife, gave me some paints. In school I painted but I could see there were lots of students who were better than I was. So when I graduated, I started to carve with my hands.
I heard the story of Yampa Deja when I was young, about giant beavers, and a fight, but I didn’t listen as much as I should have.
Q: Why carve Yampa Deja now?
Over forty years later, I heard the story again and I thought it was wonderful. Giant beavers - cool!
Now, I'm glad people can see my version. The stone is BC chlorite. It's hard, dense, so I can work without it breaking. I can give it a high polish or a matte finish if I give it a light sand.
Q: How did you start the carving?
When I started this work, I went with what the stone was telling me. The beaver on top, it was already almost there. I could sort of see it. After that, the head: did I want that to be visible from one side - or both sides?
I usually design with a firm idea in my head. But this time the process was fluid, flexible, a push-pull of ideas, as if it flowed out of the stone."