Details

Name

Douglas LaFortune

Brief Biography

Coast Salish, Tsawout Band

Occupation

Artist

Description

Douglas (Doug) LaFortune, also known as William Horne, is a Coast Salish Master Carver and Graphic Artist of both Quw’utsun’ (Cowichan) and Tsawout, WSÁNEĆ (Saanich) heritage, with an artistic career spanning over four decades. He was born in 1953 in Bellingham, Washington State and grew up in Duncan, British Columbia. He is a member of the Tsawout Band and lives on Tsawout territory, near Saanichton, British Colombia with his wife. LaFortune completed a college course in Fine Arts in 1971. He then worked in the logging industry on Vancouver Island for several years before being mentored by master carver Simon Charlie of Koksilah, under whom he developed his own unique and distinct style of contemporary and traditional Coast Salish Art. LaFortune’s works are in several museum collections locally at the University of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries and the Cowichan Valley Museum and internationally and at the British Museum.