Simon Daniel James, also known as Winadzi, is an internationally renowned artist who works across many mediums. A member of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation, Simon began carving cedar at the age of 15 and trained under the guidance of his father. Simon has worked on numerous community engagement and public art projects across Canada, the USA and Japan. His impact on local communities and students is immeasurable as he uses his creativity and compassion to inspire and nurture young learners.
In addition to carving and physical art, Simon is a gifted filmmaker and storyteller. He attended The Vancouver Film School and has worked with National Geographic’s All Roads Film Festival since 2004. He was the first recipient of the National Geographic All Roads Film Grant for Raven Tales, a ground-breaking, animated Indigenous storytelling series. As the co-creator and co-producer of Raven Tales, Simon uses his unique gifts to share and pass down stories through an innate visual and oral tradition.
