Larry Rosso was a Dakelh/Carrier artist who was known for his fine painting and design skills, particularly his bentwood boxes and panels. Like many other Athabaskan artists in British Columbia in the mid-20th century, Rosso gravitated toward Northwest Coast art and pursued his career creating formline-driven coastal designs. Rosso’s earliest teacher in Northwest Coast art was ‘Namgis/Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw artist Doug Cranmer (1927–2006). Rosso would go on to work with other Northwest Coast artists and in more northerly styles, including with renowned Haida artist Robert Davidson (b. 1946). Even so, Cranmer would remain an important, foundational influence on Rosso throughout his career. Rosso and his work were closely associated with the Douglas Reynolds Gallery in Vancouver, BC, where his first solo exhibition was held in 1999. [1] Rosso’s work can be found in major public and private collections, including the UBC Museum of Anthropology, the Vancouver International Airport, and as the logo of Carrier Sekani Family Services.

This painted panel from 1968 shows the huge impact of Cranmer’s tutelage on Rosso’s earliest work. It features a Kolus, or young thunderbird, rendered in a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw manner with a human figure in its chest. This painted design, with subtly angular ovoids and u-forms, draws heavily from Cranmer’s style but also foreshadows the bold design work that would define Rosso’s later artistic practice. The orientation of the Kolus design in profile combined with the straightforward red and black formline also recalls the burlap banners and panels made by Cranmer during this period. A fine, early example of Rosso’s craftsmanship and design skills.

1. Lawrence “Larry” Rosso biography. Douglas Reynolds Gallery website. https://douglasreynoldsgallery.com/collections/larry-lawrence-rosso. Accessed August 30, 2024.