“The work is in the carving. The purpose is in the passing on.”
Eye of Alboni is the work of Guy Louie Jr. — an Indigenous carver, mentor, and musician from Ahousaht territory. Every piece he makes carries the weight of culture. Every youth he works with carries it forward.
About Guy Louie Jr.
Guy Louie Jr. is an Ahousaht (Nuu-chah-nulth) carver, traditional singer, and cultural practitioner based in Victoria, BC.
Raised in Victoria, he began reconnecting with Nuu-chah-nulth culture as a teenager — learning songs from his grandfather Hudson Webster, and joining weekly community drumming sessions at Fernwood Community Centre that have gathered since 1996.
After 18 years as a carpenter and two years of cancer treatment, Guy apprenticed with master carver Moy Sutherland Jr. — learning traditional and contemporary Nuu-chah-nulth formline, old and modern ways of Northwest Coast art. He brings a carpenter’s precision and refusal to cut corners into every piece he makes.
The Artist
A father of eight, he continues building his practice while working toward a long-term goal: a gallery space that better serves Indigenous makers. In 2018 he performed Ahousat, a Bear Song at Victoria’s Belfry Theatre. In 2021 he joined master carver Tim Paul on a UN-commissioned totem pole in Port Alberni.
The carving is how it starts. What it builds is something bigger. Working out of Archer Community Hub, Guy mentors youth one-on-one and in small groups — teaching them to carve, yes, but also teaching them to slow down, pay attention, and connect with who they are.
Mission
To create meaningful Indigenous carvings while preserving culture through hands-on teaching and mentorship.
Vision
To pass knowledge forward and build strong connections between art, identity, and community.
Carvings
Each piece is made with purpose — not just to be beautiful, but to carry something real. Round panels full of story, bentwood boxes shaped by tradition, masks that hold ceremony, paddles built for the water.
Every carving is rooted in culture and made by hand — no shortcuts, no shortcuts in meaning either.
Mentorship & Leadership
More Than Carving
Archer Community Hub — Leadership Team
Guy serves on the leadership team at Archer Community Hub in Victoria — a creative and community-centred space supporting artists, makers, and community members across the region. In this role, he brings Indigenous cultural practice, carving, and mentorship directly into the hub, helping shape it as a place where culture, creativity, and community intersect.
The carving is how it starts. What it builds is something bigger. Working out of Archer Community Hub, Guy mentors youth one-on-one and in small groups — teaching them to carve, yes, but also teaching them to slow down, pay attention, and connect with who they are.
Fall 2026 / 27 — Youth Mentorship Program
- Cultural learning and connection
- Creative confidence and self-expression
- Discipline and follow-through
- Hands-on carving skills, start to finish
“This isn’t an after-school program. It’s an investment in identity — showing young people that their culture is something worth learning, worth carrying, and worth passing on.”
Press & Media
A look at the conversations, coverage, and community moments surrounding Guy’s work.
Victoria creative hub gives local artists a space to be seen
Archer Community Hub offers woodworking space, recording studio, hip-hop freestyle sessions
Indigenous theatrical showcase includes Ahousat, a Bear Song
Guy Louie Jr., seen drumming at an urban gathering in Victoria last December, is part of Pendulum
Rainbow Walls S1 Ep 04
Highlighting community builders who are shaping the future of creative expression and paving the way for local Artist of all mediums.
Carving A Career in the Arts
How Guy Louie Jr Moved on From Carpentry After Cancer
EXPANDING
THE REACH
Guy’s work is being positioned for national and international exposure through targeted outreach to Indigenous media, arts publications, museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and curators across Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
From Northwest Coast carving to global Indigenous art spaces, the goal is simple: put the work in front of the right people.
Land Acknowledgement
We respectfully acknowledge that this work takes place on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, represented today by the Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation, as well as the traditional homelands of the Nuu-chah-nulth Peoples, including the Ahousaht First Nation. We honour the generations of artists, knowledge keepers, singers, and carvers who have carried these teachings forward since time immemorial.
Get in Touch
Contact
For commissions, mentorship inquiries, collaborations, or community partnerships — reach out directly.
Phone
Studio
- Custom carvings and commissioned pieces
- Available and completed work
- The 2026/27 youth mentorship program
- Community and cultural partnerships