Russell Smith (b. 1950) was born in the village of Alert Bay, BC. He is the direct descendant of six chieftain bloodlines. His maternal genealogy descends from the great Chief Abraham. Russell's maternal grandfather was Isaac Abraham, Chief of the Walas Kwakiutl at Fort Rupert. Edith Dawson, his maternal grandmother was the daughter of Chief Amos Dawson of the Mamalekala tribe of Village Island.
Russell's mother, Elizabeth Abraham, was a member of the Thunderbird Clan. She was the bearer of the aural history of the family genealogy and a maker of button blankets and aprons. It was through her teachings that the traditional knowledge of Kwakwaka'wakw social order and language was passed on to Russell and his two elder brothers Jerry and Clayton.
Their paternal grandfather, Jerry Brown, was a Hope Island Chief of Fort Rupert. He was well known among the people and respected as a traditional dancer. The name Jerry Brown has been recorded in history books of the white man. He was so faithful in his adherence to the Kwakwaka'wakw ways that he performed the potlatch undaunted by colonial laws that prohibited all traditional ceremonies, and in 1922 he was arrested for taking part in the 1921 December potlatch at Village Island. He served two months in Oakalla Prison. The only direct descendant of Chief Jerry Brown is Russell’s father, Jacob Smith.
It is from a deep fountain of stories, songs, dances, legends, spirits and mythical creatures that Russell recreates the very images that guide his hand in the powerful cut of a carver’s blade or the delicate touch of a paint brush.
Russell began woodcarving in 1968. Within a year Bill Holm asked him to assist in the restoration of a Southern Kwakiutl Long House at the Pacific Science Centre in Seattle. This longhouse was opened in June of 1971 as part of a long-term exhibit on the Development of Man and the Environment.
In the early 1980's with the encouragement of his cousin, Lloyd Wadhams, Russell began working with precious metals. During 1973 and 1974 he received instruction in wood carving from
Doug Cranmer and Larry Rosso at the Vancouver Museum. In 1977, Russell learned the art of repousse from
Bill Reid, Gerry Marks,
Phil Janze and the English goldsmith, Peter Page. He has gone on to create stunning pieces in gold, silver and copper.
Russell has studied extensively the ancient and traditional designs of his Kwakwaka'wakw heritage. He works with wood, ivory, paint and precious metals, imprinting his singular powerful style onto totem poles, masks, bowls, rattles, frontlets, drums, jewellery and canvas. In each creation a vision stands revealed. Each piece records the history of the Kwakwaka'wakw in a perpetual re-enactment of natural order and harmony. No two of Russell's works are the same; yet, each is alive and hypnotic.
A number of apprentice carvers and jewellers have learned design, form, colours, shape and function from Russell's inimitable style. He has taught other selected artists repousse techniques in gold and silver. He has a twenty-year collection of photographs and slides of the most exquisite pieces house in museums and private collections throughout the continent. In his quiet and unassuming manner he has shared most generously and eagerly his knowledge of the art.
Since earliest childhood, Russell was encouraged to participate in traditional dance forms. His mother made his dance outfits. At the age of eighteen, he made a concerted effort to learn certain dances from the elders. Russell is skilled in performing numerous masked dances and ceremonial songs. He has performed as far abroad as Japan.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
The art of Awasatlas has been features in many exhibitions over the years including:
1976 Karl May, Spiele Festival at Bad Segeberg, Germany
1977 Treasures of London Exhibit, Vancouver Museum, Vancouver, BC
1977 Graphics, Northwest Coast Indian Artists Guild
1979 Graphics Collection, Northwest Coast Indian Artists
1979 Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast, Hilary Stewart Book
1980 Legacy Collection, Edinburg International Festival
1985 Asia Pacific Festival, Vancouver, BC
1985 Japan Expo, at Tsukuba, Japan
1987 Hands of Creation Exhibition, Inuit Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1989 Masks Exhibition, Vancouver, BC
1990 Spaces and Spirits Exhibition, Vancouver, BC
1990 Painted Drums of the Northwest Coast, Inuit Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1991 Mask Exhibit, A.N.P.A. Convention, Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
The works of Russell Smith are housed in private and public collections on this continent and abroad. Besides creating pieces on commission, Russell has been preparing a significant collection of works for a one-man exhibition to be announced in the near future.
