Henry Speck Jr. (Hank) is the son of Henry Speck a renowned graphic artist. Hank began carving while working as a logger in his early twenties. His employer was so impressed by these early pieces that he invested in the tools and encouraged him to concentrate on carving. A self-taught artist of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation of the Tlawitsis Tribe, Hank has close to sixty years of carving experience. He is delighted that young carvers now come to him for advice. Many of his pieces are interpretations of the large bird masks used in the hamatsa ritual and the Atlikim dance series. Given the scale and intricacy of his work, Hank produces only a few major pieces each year and many of these are for cultural use. Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl) chiefs commission his gigantic raven and Hok Hok masks, stretching to six and seven feet in length, for use in potlatch ceremonies. Hank and his wife Julia live on the remote island community of Hopetown off Vancouver Island.
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