Atheana Picha is a Coast Salish multidisciplinary artist from the Kwantlen First Nation, with family ties to Tsarlip First Nation on Vancouver Island. Raised on the west coast in the homelands of her ancestors, her work is deeply rooted in Coast Salish teachings, visual language, and relationships to land, water, and community. She carries the name Nash’mene’ta’naht, meaning “go-getter woman,” given to her by Gerry Oldman of St’at’imc First Nation, as well as the name Xwii Xwa, meaning “echo,” given to her by the late Shane Pointe of Musqueam First Nation.

Working across both 2D and 3D media, Picha’s practice includes painting, printmaking, carving, weaving, ceramics, digital design, and public art. Her work reflects a commitment to Coast Salish cultural continuity and contemporary Indigenous expression, often exploring themes of transformation, interconnectedness, ancestral knowledge, and Indigenous presence on the land. Through her art, she brings traditional Coast Salish forms into contemporary spaces while honouring the teachings and responsibilities that come with them.

Picha apprenticed under acclaimed Coast Salish artists and knowledge keepers, learning wood carving from Squamish artist Aaron Nelson-Moody and Salish wool weaving from Musqueam weaver Debra Sparrow. These mentorships continue to shape her artistic approach and deepen her understanding of Coast Salish design, materials, and practice. Alongside these teachings, she has spent years studying ancient belongings held in museum collections and learning directly from elders, artists, and the land itself.

From 2017 to 2020, Picha studied Fine Arts at Langara College in Vancouver, where she focused primarily on ceramics and printmaking. During this time, she developed a multidisciplinary practice that bridges traditional Coast Salish art forms with contemporary mediums and public installation work.

Picha’s public artworks can be found throughout the Lower Mainland in the form of murals, vinyl installations, street banners, and large-scale community projects. Her work contributes to the growing visibility of Coast Salish art in public spaces and reflects her belief that Indigenous art should be present and accessible within everyday life.

Her artwork has been exhibited internationally, including at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge, England. Through all aspects of her practice, Picha remains committed to lifelong learning, cultural revitalization, and creating work that honours both her ancestors and future generations.