Eugene Herbert Seward, also known as Gino, is a Snuneymuxw and Dzawada’enuxw artist currently based on Northern Vancouver Island. 

 

Eugene has been carving for most of his life. He comes from a long line of carvers and artists. He first learned to carve from his grandfather, William Robertson, at the age of 5. Eugene recalls, "I started at five, then I cut myself. My grandfather said no more, we will wait, and then I started at 10 years old. It’s been almost 44 years now."

 

Eugene has worked in both wood carving and jewellery making. He currently primarily works with wood, carving spruce, yellow cedar, and sometimes red cedar.  Eugene is well known for his deeply carved, beautifully stained wooden plaques that often depict orcas, bears, eagles, and thunderbirds.

 

 It was when he was working with his cousin, Jackson Robertson, that he really began developing his own skill and style. Eugene states, “I got so good that my cousin Jackson used to hire me to help him do orders. He used to get orders from anywhere from 60 to 100 plaques. We would be up all night carving. It was fun. I love carving with him.”

 

Eugene has taken his practice across the island, carving by the waterfront in Victoria and Nanaimo. Eugene’s art practice is thoroughly integrated into his everyday life. The love and passion in his work are evident, and over his career, his work has travelled all over the world.

​In conversation with the Port Hardy Museum’s curator, Eugene states, “You should keep carving because it's your heritage. It was passed onto me from my grandfather, and I learned from my uncles, the last one was my cousin Jackson.” Drawing on this tradition, Eugene has taught many young carvers and would like to pass on the skill to his grandkids one day.