Additional Images

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist;
Leona Lattimer Collection, Vancouver, BC

Note:

Leona Lattimer dedicated her career to promoting contemporary Northwest Coast Art in Canada and abroad, establishing Vancouver's Lattimer Gallery at the time of Expo 86.

Through her relationships with Indigenous artists throughout BC she was able to help create the thriving Northwest Coast Indigenous art market we know today. Leona passed away on June 25th, 2022.

We are honoured to be offering a selection of artworks from her personal collection, many of which were acquired directly from the artists.

Read about the Leona Lattimer Collection

Phil Gray belongs to the Killerwhale Clan and his works are created in his traditional Ts'msyen style. He began carving in 1998 with Salish artist Gerry Sheena. He also had the opportunity to work with David Boxley, Henry Green, and Rick Adkins early in his career. Gray primarily works in red cedar and creates masks, paintings, panels, poles, sculptures, and drums. In September of 2003, Phil had three of his pieces donated to the Burke Museum in Seattle, WA. In 2005, Gray was featured in the "Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2" exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, NY. In 2007, Gray completed the Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts Program at the Native Education College in Vancouver, BC, under Kwakwaka’wakw/Haida artist Dan Wallace. Gray was included in two major exhibitions in 2009. The first was the "Challenging Traditions" exhibition at Ontario's McMichael Gallery, a show that was dedicated to exploring innovative and experimental works from the Northwest Coast. The second was "Continuum: Vision and Creativity" on the Northwest Coast at Vancouver's Bill Reid Gallery, which highlighted 23 established Aboriginal artists from BC, Washington State, and Alaska. In February of 2010, Gray designed the helmet of gold medal-winning Skeleton racer Jon Montgomery. Montgomery held Gray's helmet throughout the Olympic awards ceremony. In 2014, Gray was awarded a BC Creative Achievement Award for his contributions to the province. In 2017, Gray won two major prizes: a Vancouver Art Foundation Mid-Career Scholarship and a REVEAL Indigenous Art Award, which was issued in celebration of Canada's 150th birthday.