Dick, Simon
Simon Dick was born in 1951 in Alert Bay, B.C. but grew-up in the nearby village of Kingcome Inlet where he was immersed in the ancient Kwakwaka'wakw culture. In this culturally intact environment he was raised speaking the Kwakwala language. Simon worked with Calvin Hunt and John Livingston under Chief Tony Hunt Sr. for many years, at Tony's Arts of the Raven gallery in Victoria BC. In his early career he worked with Bill Reid on the carving of a twenty-four-foot canoe.
Most of the indigenous artists from the Canadian North-West are deeply involved in their culture, and so is Simon Dick. He is a talented dancer, who participates in traditional dances as an early member of the Hamatsa society (the highest ranking secret society amongst the Kwakwaka'wakw people) as well as continuing the tradition of apprenticing young carvers and teaching those young artists the wealth of his cultural knowledge.
Dick has traveled to a multitude of countries to educate enthusiasts about First Nations culture. Today, his highly acclaimed work is held by collectors and exhibited in private and public galleries around the world.