Shawn Karpes

Country/Region: Northwest Coast (view other artists from Northwest Coast)

Tribe: Kwakwaka'wakw

Shawn Karpes' (b. 1968) began training in 1982 with George Hunt Jr., Jim Gilbert and Victor Newman during a Native art program sponsored by three levels of Victoria Public schools. It was at this time that Shawn began experimenting in three-dimensional form. In this program, Shawn concentrated on basic design, painting and woodcarving. During this time, Shawn's mother, Elizabeth Karpes (née Alfred) was working at Arts of the Raven Gallery and introduced Shawn to many carvers. As Shawn had been raised in Whitehorse and lived there until 1977, the world of Northwest Coast carving was a new experience to him although one to which he was connected at birth.

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