Born in 1969 in Merritt, British Columbia, James Michels is an Indigenous artist of Metis and Cree ancestry. He apprenticed with Coast Salish artist Joe Campbell, under whose guidance he learned design, carving, and painting techniques.He specializes in making steam-bent cedar boxes carved and painted in the Northwest Coast style. In 2008, James was commissioned through the Royal Bank of Canada to create a large bentwood box, “The Mendl Gathering”, which contained abalone inlays and operculum shells.
