Albert Biles grew up in the town of St. Anthony and was raised by adoptive parents. He worked at the fish plant for many years before realizing his talent for carving.
He actually gave the carvings away to friends and family not knowing the value of his fine masterpieces. It was his friends and family who made him realize his special gift.
Albert has said that he sometimes woke up at 4:00 a.m after having visions of spiritual figures in his head. So that he doesn’t lose these images, he will start carving in the wee hours of the morning. Not knowing why these visions were occurring he wanted to trace the roots of his birth family. After doing some genealogy research, he discovered he was related to an artistic Metis family (the Flowers). See the book of Labrador Artists in the Gallery.
Albert’s sons now are up and coming artisans whos spiritually also shines through in their art.
Carving mainly with moose antler and whalebone his work is very finished and detailed. His style is reminiscent of Bill Richie’s ( a famous Newfoundland artist) paintings. Who paints images within images and you must look carefully to appreciate them .
