Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
After decades as a political activist, renowned senior Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas began to apply classical Haida forms and narratives to contemporary means of communication. He has gained recognition for what he calls “Haida Manga,” combining Northwest Coast formlines with the philosophical underpinnings of Asian graphic novels known as “manga” (Japanese) or “manhwa” (Korean). Though typical neither of Northwest Coast art nor Asian graphic novels, “Haida Manga” addresses contemporary issues in an accessible and emotive manner using classical design elements to communicate socially relevant information. Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ publications include A Tale of Two Shamans (2001), The Last Voyage of the Black Ship (2003), A Lousy Tale (2009), Hachidori (2006), Flight of the Hummingbird (May 2008), RED (2009), A Haida Manga (2009) and The Canoe He Called Loo Taas (2010).

Joanne Hui
Joanne Hui is a visual artist and doctoral candidate at Concordia University (Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, Doctorate in Humanities and Philosophy). Her research investigates concepts of identity in comic art, particularly the way in which graphic art addresses culturally specific and historical conditions of migration. Recent works include Shanghai Daily (2008), a travel collage in the form of a graphic novel, and The Potato Wars: Chinese-Canadian Resistance during the Exclusion Era, a comic poster selected for inclusion in the exhibition DIASPORArt; Strategy and Seduction by Canadian Artists from Culturally Diverse Communities (2009-2010) displayed in the Ambassadors Room of Rideau Hall, the official residence of then-Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

Liz Park
Born in Seoul, Korea, Liz Park is a Vancouver-based curator committed to creating discursive spaces and generating forums to engage audiences in a dialogue about contemporary political and social realities. She holds an MA in Curatorial Studies from the University of British Columbia and curated Limits of Tolerance at Vancouver’s Centre A in 2007. In 2008–2009 she was Curatorial Resident at Western Front Media Arts through the auspices of a Canada Council Assistance to Culturally Diverse Curators in Residence grant and in 2009–2010 she was Co-Director/Co-Curator of Access Gallery. Presently, she is Public Programmer at the Vancouver Art Gallery.