David Robertson

 

David Robertson was born in 1943, Alert Bay, British Columbia, located off the north east coast of Vancouver Island. He spent most of his adolescence growing up in the small village of Gwayi in Kingcome Inlet and is a member of the the Dzawada'enuxw Tribe of the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations. It is here, at the age of five, where he found his true love for carving, after his father William Robertson taught him to carve for the first time. Presently, he resides on Gabriola Island and carves on a full-time basis.
 

David carves in yellow and red cedar wood. Each piece of cedar is hand-picked and can take as long as 2-10 hours to carve depending on the size and design. He is one of many Northwest Coast Native artists who are preserving the carving traditions of his people.