CULTURAL GROUP:
Tlingit

BORN:
1961

BIRTHPLACE:
Whitehorse, Yukon

Keith Wolfe Smarch (Shakoon) is a Tlingit artist born in Whitehorse, Yukon in 1961. He began carving in 1981 under the tutelage of renowned Tahltan/Tlingit artist Dempsey Bob. Keith is inspired by the formal elements of Northwest Coast design -- the ovoid, the U-shape, the split-U -- which he considers almost sacred, and by the stories, songs, and dances of the Tlingit people. He also believes teaching to be of utmost importance and devotes much of his time to passing down his cultural & artistic knowledge. Keith's work can be found in public and private collections all over the world, including the private collection of Charles, Prince of Wales.