Gary Minaker Russ was born into the Eagle clan of Masset, in Queen Charlotte Islands in 1958. He is the fifth child of nine born to Harold Minaker and Elanor Russ. Taught to carve at age 14 by his brother Ed and sister-in-law Fay, Gary apprenticed for a number of years while learning the stories, forms and tools that are essential to his art. Gary later worked as a logger and fisherman and continued to study Haida carving through books and the works of past masters, while refining his skills.

In 1980 he devoted himself fully to his art. Taking his inspiration from the master artists Charles Edenshaw and Issac Chapman, Russ, carves traditional works- both in form and content. He is one of the few argillite carvers who leaves his work unpolished in the traditional way with a tooled grey/black, matte surface.

Often, Gary says, that he works 10 to 12 hours per day for weeks on end. He told me that, “A lot of the times I’m emotionally and physically drained.”.

Each carving is an original in design and reflective of both Gary’s spiritual and cultural heritage, while showing a clear understanding of three dimensional sculpture that Haida artisans are renowned for. Though he works predominately in argillite, Russ has also worked in other mediums such as soapstone, wood and silver. His work is featured in books, gallery exhibits, museums and private collections worldwide.

Gary Minaker Russ currently lives and works in Vancouver, B.C. - often returning home to the Queen Charlotte Islands to revitalize the connections he has with the land and his ancestors.

In talking to Gary about his carvings. He said:that the pieces practically carve themselves - as if he was standing back and watching the stone do all the work. When I asked him if he goes to a place beyond himself, in the creation of such works, he said, “yes, quite often”. What he said he liked about the works is that the Argillite defines the shape of the sculpture and tells him which way to go.