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Roy Henry Vickers (b. 1946 in Lax̱g̱altsʼap, British Columbia) is a distinguished Canadian artist of Tsimshian, Haida, Heiltsuk, and English heritage, a background that profoundly informs his extensive body of work. As a renowned printmaker, painter, carver, designer, and author, Vickers has cultivated a unique artistic language characterized by clean lines, vivid colors, and natural themes inspired by the British Columbia coast. His style is a deliberate synthesis, merging the stylized forms of his Indigenous ancestry with contemporary and European artistic traditions, an approach that allows his work to resonate with a universal spirit. This distinctive fusion, stemming from the active integration of his diverse lineage, was further honed by his formal studies in traditional First Nations art and design at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art, which provided him with a deep understanding of ancestral visual vocabularies, enabling him to innovate authentically within and beyond these traditions.  

Vickers' influential career is marked by significant contributions to public art and cultural representation, including the establishment of his Tofino gallery in 1986, housed in a traditional Northwest Coast longhouse that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. He has served as an artistic advisor for major projects such as the Vancouver International Airport terminal (1987-1995) and the 1994 Commonwealth Games, for which he also created notable works like the Salmon Totem. His artworks are held in prominent international collections, and he is the author and illustrator of numerous books, with his children's literature, such as the Northwest Coast Legends series, receiving award nominations. Vickers' extensive accolades include the Order of British Columbia (1998), the Order of Canada (2006), Queen's Golden (2003) and Diamond (2012) Jubilee Medals, inclusion as the first artist in Maclean's magazine's Honour Roll (1994), a Grammy Award nomination (2018), and appointment as the inaugural Elder in Residence for the BC Arts Council. These milestones, spanning decades, demonstrate his sustained relevance and the role of his art in fostering broader appreciation for First Nations culture on national and international stages, often serving as a bridge between cultures.