Photo by Robin Quirk
Bruce Malidi Alfred, a Kwakwaka’wakw artist of the Namgis Band, belongs to the whale and sun crest/clans. He was born in 1950 in Alert Bay, a small island community on B.C.’s southern coast. Having been raised primarily by his grandmother Agnes Alfred, he has spent his life immersed in the cultural practices and potlatching traditions of his village. Bruce stems from a long line of prominent artists, including the Hunt brothers, and throughout his career has worked with, and been inspired by, such outstanding artists as Beau Dick, Wayne Alfred, Tony Hunt, Richard Hunt and William Wasden.
Bruce began his career in the mid-1970s in an apprenticeship program offered by renowned artist Doug Cranmer and it was here that he learned the elements of traditional Kwakwaka’wakw design, carving, printmaking, and the steam bent technique for making boxes.