Artist Ken Decker

Ken Decker is a Tsimshian artist born and raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. He is a member of the Wolf clan one of the four clans of the Tsimshian People of Southeast Alaska. Ken has been creating Northwest Coast design art for more than 20 years.

Ken has apprenticed as a carver under the direction of Master Carver Ernest Smeltzer. He first began taking classes in 1989 from some of the most famous Northwest Coast artists. Ken now teaches classes and he states that “teaching offers me a way to share the knowledge others gave me, and a way to spread fulfillment that can be gained when working with Northwest Coast traditional art forms”.

Ken works in various genres of art raging from designed drums, prints, bentwood boxes, bowls, ceremonial hats, paddles, frontlets, halibut hooks, masks, regalia, rattles and spoons.

Ken is the Grandson of James and Lillian Leask of Metlakatla, Alaska. He is very proud of his heritage and views his art as a way of keeping the culture alive. His grandfather traveled in the first canoe from Old Metlakatla, British Columbia to the present day site of Metlakatla, Alaska, where the Tsimshian people migrated in 1887 with missionary Father William Duncan.

After High School Ken joined the Navy from 1967-1970 as a Seabee in Southeast Asia.

Crazy Wolf Studio is located in downtown Ketchikan, Alaska where Ken’s artwork is featured.

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