The Vancouver Art Gallery has received a donation of 23 works by Haida artist Guud san glans Robert Davidson from Telus President and CEO Darren Entwistle and his family. The gift includes paintings, masks, and other two-dimensional works, many created in the past two decades. The collection is worth $2.2 million according to Entwistle.
Davidson, born in 1946, is considered one of Canada’s most influential artists and is credited with revitalizing Northwest Coast art traditions. His work has been shown at the Gallery since the 1960s, including a major survey in 1993 and a recent exhibition in 2023.
“This gift is deeply meaningful to me. Art has always been our way of recording history and carrying forward the voices of our ancestors,” Davidson said in a statement on Thursday. “What excites me most about this collection is that it encompasses 30 years of my work and showcases my journey into modern abstractions where I began to break formline into its most simple form. The breadth and depth of this group of works depicts the resilience and richness of our culture and the evolution of my own work over the years. I am grateful to the Entwistle family for this generous donation.”
“Through the donation of these major works of art by acclaimed Haida artist Guud san glans Robert Davidson that we have collected over the past 25 years, my family and I are honoured to deepen our support of the Vancouver Art Gallery and publicly accessible art for our fellow Canadians,” said Entwistle, in an issued statement to iPhone in Canada.
Gallery curators say the donation fills a gap in their holdings of Davidson’s later works, highlighting his shift toward abstraction and new uses of colour and form. Notable pieces include Halibut Halibut Halibut (2000), Chief of the Underworld (2006), Sea Anemone (2008), and Diving Killer Whale (2019). Several of the donated works will be featured in the upcoming exhibition We who have known tides, opening November 7.
Entwistle earned nearly $21 million in total compensation from Telus in 2024.
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