Landon Gunn Kwakwaka’wakw / Red River Métis

 

Landon was born October 6, 1981, in Kimberly, BC. His family background is a mix of Kwakwaka’wakw, Red River Métis and European ancestry. Landon is a new generation artist who began carving in 2002 while studying Anthropology and Politics at university in Vancouver. It was at this time that he began to look for a deeper connection to his aboriginal cultural heritage through art. In the relatively short time that he has been working as an artist, Landon has worked with some of the best jewelry and wood carvers on the Northwest Coast. He has assisted on totem poles with Haida artist, Clarence Mills, an artist who has also introduced Landon to the finely detailed work of jewelry carving and engraving. In addition, he has worked on masks and wood carving with Philip Gray and Jay Simeon, who have both been a source of inspiration. Landon has also spent time studying jewellery with many other talented and well known native artits such as Gerry Marks, Kelvin Thompson, and Justin Rivard, In addition to his traditional training with other artits, Landon completed the Northwest coast jewelry arts program at NEC (Native Education College) run by noted Kwakwaka'wakw / Haida artist Dan Wallace in Vancouver BC.