Jim Hart RCA
Haida Nation
Jim Hart was born in 1952 to the Eagle Clan of Old Massett, Haida Gwaii on the Northwest coast of British Columbia. He is a descendant of the extremely well-known master carver Charles Edenshaw, where he gets his hereditary chief’s name 7idansuu (‘ee-dan-soo’).
Hart began carving professionally in 1979 when he was commissioned by the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria to carve a 7 x 9’ cedar Dogfish Screen. In the following years, from 1980-1984, he was a protégé of Bill Reid’s. Hart has worked on many memorable installations such as Reid’s ‘Raven and the First Man,’ which resides at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. He has had over 20 pole commissions, including one for the King of Sweden in Helsingborg. In 2011, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa added Hart’s bronze sculpture, “The Three Watchmen” to its permanent collection. His artistic works have been featured all around the world, including Paris, where his designs were featured on textiles at the Louvre. He has also worked with acclaimed artist Robert Davidson and continues to be a wonderful mentor to many young artists along the Northwest coast.
Hart recently finished “The Dance Screen (The Scream Too)” for the Vancouver Art Gallery, which is travelling across Canada. Currently Hart is working on a long house in Massett and splits his time between Vancouver and Haida Gwaii. He continues to play a very large role in his community, working with younger artists and inspiring the world with his creative genius.