Jaalen began his study of Haida design under his father Guujaaw from an early age, tracing ancestral designs to learn the art’s flow and ingenuity.  He has continued to study his ancestors’ works to inform his own art practice.  With his brother Gwaai, Jaalen has traveled to museums with Haida pieces in their collections including the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, the Field Musem, Chicago, the Burke in Seattle, the Museum of History, Ottawa, and the Museum of Natural History in New York.  At these sites, the two have pored over ancestral artworks to understand the subtleties of the lines and flows.  As well as original paintings on boxes, drums and paddles, Jaalen has released a number of limited edition prints.