EUGENE ISAAC
(B. 1958, Alert Bay, BC; Kwakwaka'wakw)
Eugene Isaac has been making traditional Kwakwaka'wakw art for most of his life. He grew up surrounded by the rich cultural and artistic traditions of Alert Bay. Isaac has earned a great reputation for his mastery of two dimensional design and painting. He has produced an impressive body of original paintings and limited edition prints, and he has been called upon to design and paint numerous commissioned works for other artists. To hone his skills as a painter of traditional design, he studied extensively under master artists Mungo Martin, Henry Speck, Willie Seaweed, Charlie James, and Blackie Dick.
For many years, Isaac was painter to master carver Beau Dick, helping him create many monumental works, including the large Transformation Mask that hangs in the great hall of the Canadian Museum of History in Hull, QC.
