Billy Gauthier

My interest in art started at a very early age. As soon as I was old enough to hold a pencil I would draw for hours on end. When I was finished I would show the drawing to my mother. Rather than telling me it was perfect she’d say, “It’s very good, but if you made a few changes it could be even better,” and she was right.

I was born July 7, 1978 in Happy Valley — Goose Bay, Labrador. My mother is Kablunangajuit (mixed Inuit) and my father is Métis.

As I grew, so did my interest in art. In 1996 my mother had arranged so that I could watch my cousin John Terriak (well known Labrador artist) carve at his studio. After I watched him for a couple of hours, he gave me a piece of stone and a few files to take home. I started carving that night.

The first piece I carved was a hood (Inuk face inlaid in a hood), which is why I still draw a hood on the bottom of each piece. Since I completed my first piece, I have grown a great appreciation for the stones I use and the land they come from. I enjoy carving traditional themes, but with “my own style” (which is constantly evolving). Many of the ideas come to me in my dreams; this is probably why carve the stone in fluid forms.

Spirit Wrestler Gallery

• Billy Gauthier: Visions from Labrador, solo exhibition, October 2010