Richard Freeman
Richard Freeman was born in Seattle and returned to
his home three months later to Afognak Island, near
Kodiak, Alaska. Richard is 3/4 Aleut, 1/4 Norwegian,
Russian and Native. His great grandfather was coming to
Alaska from Russia by boat when the boat sank. As a
survivor of the shipwreck, he was adopted by the Russian
Orthodox Church in Kodiak. He spoke 12 languages.
Richard has fished commercially for 40 years. He has
been a self-taught scrimshaw (ivory engraver) artist since
1981. He scrimshaws animals and birds on walrus ivory
and Alaska mammoth ivory. Richards skill has quickly
become legendary being one of a handful of colored scrim
artists. His realism and eye for detail has made his work
very popular.
