Indigenous artist re-designs Pokemon with Tsimshian twist

A Vancouver artist is gaining popularity online for his creative reimagining of Pokemon characters in a Northern BC Indigenous art style.

Chase Gray is Musqueam and Tsimshian, and merges pop art with traditional Tsimshian motifs to recreate the adorable characters.

“I’m just a really nostalgic person,” he told Daily Hive. “So as I was relearning how to do my art, I was like I may as well have a little bit of fun with this.”

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A post shared by Chase Gray (@gaysalishart)

He first became a Pokemon fan at age six playing Yellow and Red on Gameboy, and began sharing the Pokemon creations on Instagram in May 2021. He quickly amassed more than 5,000 followers and sold out of stickers.

“Everybody loves a good pop art,” he said. “Indigenous art can be anything. And for me, pop art re-introduced me to a new spark that I have for my culture.”

Gray has been part of a dance group since he was a preteen, and credits that as his introduction to Tsimshian art. An uncle taught him the formline style, and Gray got back into it during the pandemic when boredom provoked him to explore the old passion.

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A post shared by Chase Gray (@gaysalishart)

Now, he’s busy restocking his online store with stickers and prints of Pokemon, Digimon, and other ’90s favourites in between working on larger projects for museums and cultural festivals.

Most recently, he created a moving piece called Breathe for VMF Winter Arts Festival, where a figure inhales and exhales surrounded by killer whales.

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A post shared by Chase Gray (@gaysalishart)

Gotta catch ’em all? Those interested in purchasing Gray’s work can visit his online store. Here are more designs:

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A post shared by Chase Gray (@gaysalishart)

Gray isn’t the only Indigenous artist to show off their take on Pokemon characters. Last year a friend of Ontario artist Charles A shared a photo of his Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise painting to Reddit. The post got so much traction it was picked up by Nintendo Life.