Tlingit artist, Mark Preston, was born in Dawson City, Yukon in 1960. He began studying silver carving under renowned Gitksan artist Phil Janzé while attending K’san in Hazelton, BC. He then began learning the techniques of woodcarving. Preston is a multidisciplinary artist who works in a variety of media. His contemporary pieces are inspired by minimalism and abstraction.

Preston recontextualizes Northwest Coast formline shapes by making precise cutouts into panels, thus turning traditional shapes into negative space. His minimalist, all-white motif symbolizes clarity, peacefulness, and open-mindedness. In this same vein, many ofPreston’s pieces are purposely left untitled to allow for open interpretation of their meanings.

Preston’s work is in both private and public collections, including the Yukon Permanent ArtCollection. He is represented by the Fazakas Gallery in Vancouver.