Rande Cook

Rande Cook, Lines of Time, 2007, Silkscreen Print, On loan from the Smiths

As the youngest hereditary chief in the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation, Rande Cook was born and raised in Alert Bay, an area of Northern Vancouver Island of great natural beauty and strong cultural heritage. From an early age, Rande was interested in creating art, and was instructed by mentors including his grandfather Gus Matipli about elements of Kwakwaka’wakw design and the importance of art in preserving his culture. Rande Cook now lives in Victoria, and has studied wood carving under John Livingston, metalwork with Robert Davidson, as well as the creation of traditional bentwood boxes from Bruce Alfred. He continues to expand his style by studying repousse and chasing in New York and Italy with Valentin Yotkov. These great mentors have contributed to his growth as an artist, although he expresses a very personal vision in his work. Rande Cook’s work incorporates traditional forms, but it also moves beyond them to a contemporary, individual style of expression.