Richard Hunt

Richard Hunt is a Kwakwaka’wakw artist from coastal British Columbia. He comes from a renowned family of artists, including his father, Henry Hunt, and his grandfather, Mungo Martin. He is widely recognized as one of the leading contemporary Northwest Coast artists.

Born in 1951 in Alert Bay, he later moved to Victoria, where he grew up. He began carving with his father at age 13 and later apprenticed with him at the Royal BC Museum. In 1974, he became chief carver for the Thunderbird Park Carving Program and worked there for 12 years. In 1986, he began his career as a freelance artist.

Richard has earned many major honours. In 1991, he became the first Indigenous artist to receive the Order of British Columbia. In 1994, he received the Order of Canada for his outstanding contributions to the country. He also received the Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

In 2004, the Royal Academy of Arts recognized his achievements and granted him membership, allowing him to use “RCA” after his name. That same year, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria, an honour his father also received in 1983.

In 2009, he received the BC Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art. His Kwakwaka’wakw name, Gwe-la-yo-gwe-la-gya-lis, means “a man that travels and wherever he goes, he potlatches,” a fitting reflection of his lifelong generosity through art, speaking, and dance.