Bill Reid

When Bill Reid, one of North America's great artists, died on March 13, 1998, he left behind a legacy of magnificent art that drew deeply on that of his Haida ancestors. His work continues to be exhibited internationally and is in many private and public collections around the world. This book celebrating the artist and his work was first published in 1986. For the updated edition, Doris Shadbolt has written a new chapter covering Reid's last years from 1987 to 1998, including his masterwork, the great bronze sculpture titled The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, as well as the moving details of his ceremonial Haida burial on Haida Gwaii. In a long career, Reid embraced many art forms, driven always by a passion for the well-made, well-crafted object. This impulse, combined with his gradual rediscovery and rekindling of a rich Haida cultural heritage, informed and inspired his development as a visual artist of tremendous power and brilliant accomplishment.