Nigel Lawrence, Photographer
In residence, May 27-June 17
This June, Nigel Lawrence joins Bloedel Reserve as our Creative Resident, bringing with him a deep connection to the waters, stories, and traditions of the Pacific Northwest.
A photographer and member of the Suquamish Tribe, Nigel’s work reflects both lived experience and cultural continuity. His photography often centers around Tribal Canoe Journey traditions, community, and the enduring relationship between people and place. Through his lens, moments of movement, reflection, and connection become opportunities to witness culture not as history, but as something vibrant and ongoing.
Nigel describes himself as a husband, father of three, and grandfather who has spent decades participating in Tribal Canoe Journeys. In a recent photography anthology for the University of Washington Continuum College, he shared that he has been journeying for 35 years and wanted to photograph canoes “from different perspectives” than those typically seen from inside the canoe itself. His featured series, Canoe Practice in qal̕qaləx̌ič / Killer Whale, explores the canoe not only as a vessel, but as “an enduring symbol of my ancestral culture.” (UW Professional & Continuing Education)
Photography, for Nigel, is deeply personal. His images carry a sense of quiet observation — an attentiveness to light, landscape, movement, and community. Whether documenting practices on the water or capturing fleeting natural moments, his work invites viewers to slow down and look more closely.
As Creative Resident, Nigel will spend time at the Reserve exploring the landscape through photography and drawing inspiration from the gardens, forests, and reflective spaces that make Bloedel Reserve so unique. His residency offers an opportunity to experience the Reserve through a new perspective — one rooted in story, heritage, and connection to the natural world.
We are honored to welcome Nigel to the Reserve and look forward to sharing more of his work throughout the month of June.
Learn more about Nigel Lawrence’s photography through the University of Washington Photography Galleries.
