Robert Davidson OC OBC

2010 Audain Prize for the Visual Arts

Robert Davidson is an internationally acclaimed contemporary carver, printmaker, painter and jeweller. He draws inspiration from his personal interpretation of traditional Haida art and culture.

Robert Davidson was born in Hydaburg, Alaska and grew up in the Haida village of Masset, on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. Through his father Claude Davidson, he is the great grandson of Charles Edenshaw, a renowned Haida artist. Robert Davidson first learnt to carve from his grandfather Robert Davidson, Sr. In 1966 he became an apprentice to the master Haida carver Bill Reid. A year later he started studying at the Vancouver School of Art (currently Emily Carr University of Art and Design).

Robert Davidson is at the forefront of the Northwest Coast Indigenous art renaissance. He takes seriously his trusteeship of traditional Haida knowledge, passed down to him by his grandmother, Florence Davidson, and has initiated many projects and events dedicated to preserving Haida language and culture.
In 1969, Robert Davidson carved and raised the first totem pole in Haida Gwaii since 1871. The 40-foot totem pole was erected in living memory of Haida elders. Since then he has carved many totem poles for public institutions and private collectors.

In 1993, Robert Davidson’s exhibition Eagle of the Dawn at the Vancouver Art Gallery surveyed his artistic achievements over the span of four decades. It was the largest solo exhibition of any Northwest Coast artist. His 2004 solo exhibition The Abstract Edge premiered at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and toured nationally. This exhibition showcased his personal contemporary interpretation of Haida design.

Robert Davidson received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1995 for his contribution to First Nations art and culture. He has also been honoured with the Order of British Columbia, Order of Canada and the Governor General’s Award for Visual Arts. In 2010, Robert Davidson became the seventh recipient of the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Visual Arts. Robert Davidson’s work can be viewed in the permanent collection at the Audain Art Museum.