By Shane F. Baker
11 3/4" x 5 1/2
Born in the province of Ontario in 1987, Shane F. Baker always had a keen interest in the arts. In 2010, he moved to Capilano reserve to connect with his family from Squamish, Sechelt and Namgis. He immediately began learning the basics of Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish design, as he watched his father Richard Baker engrave jewelry, his uncle Matthew carving masks and totem poles and his brother Troy carving plaques. Shane began apprenticing under Troy and also started learning from the late Andrew Natrall.
For several years Shane kept painting as his main focus while he fine tuned his own style. He blended the style of the Kwakwaka’wakw, inherited from his great grandmother Katherine Scow, and his own personal twist which combines hints of naturalism and at times, contemporary aspects. In 2017, Shane decided to focus his energy full time into carving and is now pursuing the art-form as a career, while furthering his knowledge under the tutelage of Noel Brown.