Roy Henry Vickers is a Northwest Coast First Nations artist whose name has become known world wide for his unique graphic style, which melds traditional and contemporary themes and forms.
He was born in Greenville, British Columbia, in 1946. The Vickers family lived in the ancient Tsimshian village of Kitkatla on the northwest coast, later moving to Hazelton and then to Victoria. As a young man, he studied at the Gitanmaaz School of Northwest Coast Indian Art at K’san, near Hazelton.
A high point in his career came in 1987, when the government of British Columbia presented Queen Elizabeth II with his original painting, A Meeting of Chiefs, at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. Each of the government leaders received a limited-edition silkscreen of the image.
Vickers lives and works in Hazelton, B.C. along the path of the Skeena River. Vickers has also lived and worked in Kitkatla, Victoria, and Tofino where he built his Eagle Aerie Gallery on the theme of a traditional west coast longhouse.
Clayoquot Sunset, 30/75
Roy Henry Vickers
Japanese Woodblocks
12 x 9 in.
Value: $810.00
Rental per month: $17.00
Vickers once lived on Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound, a protected maze of islands and passages opening on to the Pacific Ocean. The sound is a source of constant inspiration for him, for his art and his soul.
But the area is no longer pounding surf, sandy beaches, wildlife and untouched wilderness. Logging and mining encroach upon nature daily. Habitat is reduced, soil stability is threatened and once-pristine salmon-spawning beds are left cluttered with debris.
When men and wild creatures interact, the animals are usually the losers. Whether dealing with oil spills, errant hunters’ bullets or pesticide poisoning, WRA is doing what it can to offer an emergency response program.
Vickers hopes that through this combined effort the artists can provide art collectors with an opportunity to play a part too. By acquiring this collection of original fine-art prints, they will be making a generous statement of their support of nature.
Six Japanese wood blocks impressed fifteen times. The image is 12” by 9” (30 cm by 23 cm).