Athena Picha

Atheana Picha, a Salish artist from the Kwantlen First Nation with roots in the Tsartlip community, embodies the name Nash’mene’ta’naht, meaning “Go-Getter Woman” in St’at’imc, bestowed upon her by Gerry Oleman. Based in Richmond, BC, she delves into 2-Dimensional media as an interdisciplinary artist. Since 2018, Atheana has apprenticed under Musqueam weaver Debra Sparrow for Salish wool weaving and Squamish artist Aaron Nelson-Moody for silver engraving, wood carving, and tool making, grounding her practice in Salish design, nature, and ancestral teachings.

Atheana pursued fine art at Langara College, specializing in ceramics, intaglio printmaking, and wood carving before focusing on screen printing and drawing in 2021. Her engagement with public art spans mural works across Greater Vancouver since 2018, alongside recent banner and vinyl mural installations. As a two-time recipient of the YVR Art Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship, Atheana’s pieces grace collections at esteemed institutions like the Museum of Vancouver, Burnaby Art Gallery, and Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. Her journey intertwines tradition, innovation, and community, shaping a dynamic artistic identity rooted in cultural heritage and contemporary expression.