History

Father,
artist and survivor

Love, trouble and creativity have carried me around the world from my home reserve in Canim Lake, British Columbia to New York City and many magnificent places in between.

My work is inspired by the stories that comprise my life—the people, tricksters, tragedies and triumphs of the Indigenous experience. I work in many media, including wood, bronze, silver, gold, glass, print and more. My work is intimate, intricate and vivid, and I take immense pride in my craft.

Over the years, I have won numerous awards, including top prize at the inaugural Indian Art Northwest in 1998, best of show at the Autry Museum in 2008, best of show at the Heard Museum’s Indian Fair and Market in 2010 and more.

I took a brief hiatus from fine art to try my hand at chainsaw carving, winning 1st place in the artist challenge at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Chainsaw Carving Invitational, one of the biggest chainsaw carving competitions in the United States.

My pieces are in public and private collections, including the National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, D.C. My portfolio of monumental works includes a portrait mask of Taoyateduta, or Chief Little Crow, in Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In 1986, I graduated from the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver and moved to New York to work as a lithographer for world-renowned Tyler Graphics, producing prints for Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and other legends of contemporary art.