• Artist:
• Eugene Hunt

• Edition Size:
• 200 signed and numbered

• Paper Size:
• 51 x 53 cm, 20 x 21 inches

With Mother and Child II, Eugene Hunt honours the special bond between an orca (killer whale) mother and its calf.

Along the Northwest Coast, the orca—often called the Sea Wolf—holds great spiritual and cultural meaning. Many coastal nations see the orca as a powerful family being, a protector, and a reflection of the deep connections that unite all living things. The bond between an orca mother and her calf carries these teachings in a living form.

An orca mother never leaves her calf. From birth, she guides it gently to the surface for its first breath and stays by its side as it learns to move, hunt, and communicate. Her voice becomes the first sound the calf knows, and her presence shapes its entire world. Families of orcas travel together for life, led by the wisdom of mothers and grandmothers who hold the stories and songs of their lineage.

Scientists have observed orca mothers mourning when they lose a calf, carrying the body for days or even weeks. This behavior shows the depth of their emotional world and the enduring nature of their maternal bond.

Many Indigenous teachings say that orcas carry the spirits of ancestors and that their loyalty to family mirrors the values of human communities—love, respect, guidance, and belonging. When people see orcas swimming together, they recognize these same family bonds that sustain life on both sea and land.

The bond between an orca mother and her calf reminds us that the ocean, like our own families, thrives through care, balance, and connection. It speaks of love that endures beyond distance, beyond time—a love as vast as the sea itself.

Please also read The Orca Symbol - Native Art Symbols and Meanings.

This limited edition silk screen print titled "Mother and Child II" by Eugene Hunt was hand produced by the screen printing process. It is the only limited edition printing of this design. The artist has inspected and signed each copy in the edition. The printer has destroyed all trial copies and obliterated the printing stencils.