DEMPSEY BOB

Dempsey Bob is a Northwest Coast woodcarver and sculptor from Terrace, British Columbia. He is of Tahltan and Tlingit ancestry and is of the Wolf Clan. Bob began carving in 1969, studying under Haida carver Freda Diesing. He eventually helped found the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Arts in honour of his mentor and to guide the next generation of Indigenous artists. His work is held in esteemed institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Royal British Columbia Museum, and the Audain Art Museum. His work is carried by Equinox Gallery in Vancouver. He has received several awards, including an Aboriginal Art Lifetime Achievement Award (2007), the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts (2021), and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada (2013). Currently, Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob, organized by the Audain Art Museum and McMichael Canadian Art Collection, is on tour across Canada.

Bob works primarily in wood to create bowls, masks, totem poles, and other works, mostly in the Tlingit style. Eagle Human Spoon is carved out of alder wood and depicts an eagle resting on top of two human faces whose body creates the handle of a deep spoon. The eagle is known by his long beak which curves downwards towards the bridge of the human’s nose. The human faces feature Bob’s signature wide mouths and slanted, drooping eyes. This piece is an example of Bob’s progression from traditional masks to his experimentation with nontraditional forms and functions. His mastery of the medium is evident in the smooth lines and delicate curves of this piece.

Eagle Human Spoon

2010, alder wood

On verso signed and dated 16 x 5 x 4 in, 40.8 x 12.4 x 9.7 cm

Value $25,000

Donated by Eric Savics

Lot #13

Unfold 2021, charcoal dust and red mesh

62 x 38 in, 157.5 x 96.5 cm

Framed

Value $29,000

Donated by the Artist

Lot #14