Donovan Gates was born in 1954, and is a member of the Old Massett band of the Haida nation, belonging to the Raven clan matrilineally. He learned carving from his grandfather, and continued to carve for decades inspired by traditional Haida sculptures of the 1800s.. He began with argillite and then moved on to wood, silverwork, and printmaking. During this time, Donovan studied with Eli Bell, Dilbert Bell, Hector Thompson, and Maury Clark.
