CULTURAL GROUP:
Kwakwaka'wakw/Coast Salish (Penelakut)
BORN:
April 4, 1973
BIRTHPLACE:
Campbell River, BC
Maynard Johnny Jr, a resident of Chemainus, began his career as a teenager, and has continued his self-directed development of art-making. He is of Coast Salish descent on his father’s side from Penelakut Island and Kwakwaka’wakw descent on his mother’s side from Cape Mudge on Quadra Island. Recently, he began to venture from painting into jewellery and wood carving. He is inspired by notable artists including Robert Davidson, Art Thompson, Richard Hunt, and Mark Henderson. He was featured in the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design, New York, in 2005. In 2009, Maynard's work adorned the cedar gift boxes that were given to special guests at the Canadian Juno Music Awards. His works can also be seen in film (Say it Ain’t So) and television series (Grey’s Anatomy). In 2021, Maynard was commissioned by BC Ferries to complete an exterior design for a new vessel and he titled it 'Salish Heron'.
