Rod Smith
CULTURAL GROUP:
Kwakwaka'wakw
BORN:
March 6, 1966
BIRTHPLACE:
Vancouver, BC
Rod Smith was taught by his father, late Kwakwaka'wakw artist Harris Smith (Lalkawilas). Rod has been given two names; Thaelkualis – He Who Feasts the People Till Morning and Galuyagmi – Great First Birth. He often works in basswood, red and yellow cedar, arbutus, and maple. Rod is perhaps best known for his precise and elegant painting style. His pieces include sculptures, masks, poles, original paintings, plates, vessels, bowls, and bentwood boxes. In 2002, Rod completed an 8-foot pole in collaboration with his father and his brother, Kwakwaka'wakw artist Steve Smith, and they finished the pole here at Lattimer Gallery. In 2005, Rod was featured in the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibition that opened at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, NY. In 2013, Rod and Steve were featured in an exhibition titled Collaboration & Contrast at Lattimer Gallery. In 2019, Rod was selected by the BC Law Society to design their annual awards.