Oscar Matilpi was a widely celebrated Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw carver known for his finely carved masks and monumental totem poles. Born into an extended artistic family that included the Hunts and Mungo Martin, Matilpi was part of the core group of Indigenous artists who were revitalizing Northwest Coast art in the 1960s. Today, his work can be seen in a number of public collections, but one of his most iconic and visible pieces is his Thunderbird and Killer Whale pole in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The mask is painted in customary red, black, and blue and strongly reflects the influence of his peers and mentors, Henry Hunt (Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, 1923-1985) and John Livingston (Adopted Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, 1951-2019).

Christopher W. Smith