Collection: Mark Preston

Mark Preston was born in Dawson City, Yukon. He is of Tlingit and Irish ancestry and presently resides in Whitehorse, Yukon.

He learned about his Tlingit ancestry through his family and school. Initially, he began studying art through studying European masters such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo but later discovered and studied First Nation masters – Bill Reid, Robert Davidson and Roy Henry Vickers.

Mark has studied various mediums and has carved with notable carvers. He began studying silver carving with well known master jeweler carver, Phil Janze [Gitskan Nation] at Hazelton, B.C. and although he considers this to be a life-long dedication, recently he has moved into wood carving.

On returning to the Yukon, he began to work with his mother, Kay-Yee-Yah [Big Country Woman], who is an artist in her own right. This collaboration between Mark and his mother produced a unique and successful line of garments with extraordinarily beautiful appliqués of cloth and/or beading.

"When I think about what Art is, it is more than illustration or objects to be doted over. Art is the magic, the glue that brings us all together. It is the language that transcends its forms. Art gives us reason to think, ponder and speak our minds." — Mark Preston.