William CookAlert Bay, British ColumbiaCarver & Jeweller William (Billy) Cook was born in Alert Bay, on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. He is part of the Namgis, Ma'amtagila and Mamalilikala First Nation communities. He was raised in the Kwakwaka'wakw tradition by his grandparents Florence, and Gus Matilpi, who he thanks for his cultural education. William has a couple traditional names with "Malidzas" being his everyday name and "Tanis" being his name as a dancer. Cook comes from a family of artists; his brother Rande Cook is an established multi media artist, and his niece is emerging artist Jazmine McCrimmon-Cook. Learning how to draw as a young man through Francis Dick and his grandpa Gus - Gus spurred on William and Rande's interest in art at an early age. He taught them the essential elements of art and impressed upon them both the importance of art and the fact that it can be used to connect and preserve the culture of their people. At the age of 19 William started to carve jewellery. His influences include Patty Seaweed and Henry Nelson. Beautifully hand-carved and deeply engraved silver and gold jewelry are William's specialty, though he began creating cedar panels in 2013. His works feature deep cuts that glimmer in the light and oftentimes include designs that are cut out. His work is instantly recognizable because of his unique style.