Born to Kwakiutl nation of Alert Bay, B.C., Mike Matilpi has been carving silver jewelry since 1993.
His teacher is his father Charles Harper, a well-known artist who has been carving for over 35 years. Mike has attended Mountain Gems silversmith course and was taught how to set stones using a Bezel setting. The majority of Mike's relatives are also carvers, in some way influenced Mike's work. Just to name a few: Doug Harper, Glen Harper, Les Harper, George Matilpi, Dennis Matilpi, and Paddy Seaweed.