JOE DAVID

Joe David was born in 1946 at Opitsaht, a Clayoquot village on Meares Island, on the western shore of Vancouver Island.
He is a master carver and one of the most important proponents in the revival of traditional Nuu-Chah-Nulth carving and design. He is a leading figure in modern Northwest Coast Indigenous art. David is a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. He began carving while living in Seattle, where he apprenticed with Duane Pasco and studied under Northwest Coast art historian Bill Holm.
His father, Hyacinth David, was a respected chief and elder of the Clayoquot nation, and even though he had removed his family from Nuu-chah-nulth territory, he remained connected to the village and practiced the traditional values and ceremonies.
David’s work can be found in public and private collections, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, and the UBC Museum of Anthropology.