CULTURAL GROUP:
Coast Salish

BORN:
January 11, 1982

BIRTHPLACE:
Victoria, BC

Born into a family of carvers, Douglas received training from his father Doug Lafortune as well as his uncles Perry Lafortune and Francis Horne, whom he cites as being his inspirations. Douglas completed his first carving at the age of eight, and has been carving professionally since 1998, typically working with red cedar. While he tends to portray traditional Salish crests and motifs, he is especially interested in experimenting with unconventional form and unique symbolism.

Douglas is known as being one of the first Northwest Coast artists to incorporate sand blasting into his works. Notable commissions of his include the “Cycle of Knowledge” carved house post for Camosun College in Victoria, as well as the conference table for Camosun innovates. He also designed the logos for the Orange Shirt Society of Victoria, as well as for RTVS, a virtual rural health care network in British Columbia.