CULTURAL GROUP:
Kwakwaka'wakw

BORN:
1950

BIRTHPLACE:
Alert Bay, BC

Bruce Alfred belongs to the crests Whale and Sun, Sisiutl, Raven, Thunderbird, and Kulus. He trained under Kwakwaka'wakw teacher Tony Hunt at the Indian Arts and Crafts Society in the 1970s, and completed design courses at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, BC. Bruce also studied with celebrated Kwakwaka'wakw artist Doug Cranmer for three years, and has trained with Kwakwaka'wakw printmaker and carver Richard Hunt. Bruce and his brother, Harold Alfred, also assisted with the restoration of the Mortuary Poles at Alert Bay. He has exhibited his work at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, and has pieces in the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, BC, and the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC. Bruce predominantly carves masks, rattles, and bentwood boxes. He is regarded as one of the best bentwood box makers in Canada. In 2008, Bruce received a British Columbia Creative Achievement Award for Aboriginal Art.