Moody, Garner
Garner Moody is a member of the Haida Gwaii. He was born in 1958 in Prince Rupert and raised in Skidegate on Haida Gwaii. He belongs to the Raven Clan and is a well-known and highly talented and skilled Argillite and wood carver (Argillite is a black slate found only on Haida Gwaii). Garner started drawing around the age of nine. He then ventured into carving and created his first piece of art in argillite at the age of 15. Garner is Rufus Moody’s nephew. Rufus also is a very prominent argillite carver.
He worked alongside and was mentored by renowned Haida masters, including Bill Reid, Nelson Cross, Alfie Collinson, Ding (Melvin) Hutchingson and Ron Wilson.
Garner, now considered a master carver, helped to carve Bill Reid’s famous full scale Lootaas dugout canoe. He mainly works with red and yellow cedar, argillite and precious metals like gold and silver to create masks, panels, totem poles and jewelry. Garner co-created the Ts’aahl pole, displayed outside the Haida Heritage Centre in Skidegate. Garner currently lives and works on Haida Gwaii.