Lou-ann Ika’wega Neel

Indigenous Lead – Creative BC
Kwakwaka'wakw

Lou- ann Ika’wega Neel, as she is known by her English name, is a Kwakwaka’wakw artist born in Alert Bay, British Columbia in the 1960’s. She has lived most of her life in Victoria, British Columbia, in the unceded traditional territories of the Lekwungen people. Amongst her people on her homeland the Kwak’wala names she goes by are K’iditle’logw, Ika’wega and Ga’ axstalas. Her artistic practice involves the creation of jewelry, textiles, as well as wood carvings and original painted designs. Hailing from the Da’nax’daxw, Ma’amtagila, ‘Namgis and Kwagiulth tribes she has worked for over 30 years in her artistic practice. Lou-ann Ika’wega Neel comes from a family of artists, and her work is greatly inspired by the work created by her grandmother, Ellen Neel and her great-great-grandfather Charlie James. She considers it a great honour to continue the artistic traditions of her family.

While interested in art from an early age, she attended Emily Carr University of Art + Design for her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Visual Arts. Interested in helping other Indigenous artists, she has been an active volunteer for the Indigenous fine arts community where she has focused on intellectual property rights and copyright of Indigenous artists their families, nations, and communities. Throughout her career, alongside her artistic practice, she has worked in arts administration. In 2018, she joined the Royal BC Museum as a repatriation specialist, and later became Curator, Indigenous Collections in 2020. In 2022 she was chosen for the role of Indigenous Lead at Creative BC.