Andy Bruce is from Alert Bay, a remote fishing village on Cormorant Island near Port McNeil on the north east coast of Vancouver Island. Alert Bay has produced many of the most recognized modern artists including Beau Dick, Doug Cranmer, Wayne and Bruce Alfred, Ellen Neel and Megann O’Brien. It is also the home of the U’mista Cultural Centre and the Big House Cultural Centre which have inspired artists through the comprehensive potlatch collection and the hosting of numerous potlatches and feasts each year. Bruce is also influenced by his family connections to Fort Rupert (Hunt and Cook) which offers a distinct but related carving style to Alert Bay.

Shaman masks have a deep history attached to healing, protection and historical teaching. Shamans are both publicly acknowledged for their valued presence and skill but also shrouded in a private world where their history, gifts and personal power remains secret.