Robert Davidson

"T-SILII-AA-LIS" Raven Finned Killer Whale

1983

Robert Davidson is one of Canada’s most respected and important contemporary artists. Of Haida descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks as well as a master printmaker, painter and jeweler. He is a leading figure in the renaissance of Haida art and culture. Robert Davidson is best known as an impeccable craftsman whose creative and personal interpretation of traditional Haida form is unparalleled. He is now the consummate Haida artist whose strong rhythms and personal style are recognizable and sought the world over. For more than thirty years, Robert Davidson has worked as an artist and has produced an internationally acclaimed body of work. His work is found in a number of important private and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec, the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles and the Artists for Kids Gallery in North Vancouver. In 1995 he received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for his contribution to First Nations art and culture. He holds honourary degrees from the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. He has received the Order of British Columbia and in 1996 was awarded the prestigious Order of Canada.