British Columbia artist Adolf Oetter was born and raised in Bremen, Germany, emigrating to Canada in 1967. It was in Germany that he learned the skills of metalsmithing, apprenticing for three and a half years in a slowly dying trade that is now being superseded by 20th century technology and mass production. In 1955 he was one of only three German apprentices undertaking formal metalsmiths training, earning his journeymans certification in 1958. Metalsmithing is a skill that can be directly traced back to the Middle Ages when talented European craftsmen fabricated suits of armour for 15th century soldiers. Later it evolved into a more widely appreciated art form as metalsmiths learned to form ornaments and such practical items as tea kettles and bowls. With special metalsmithing tools he has crafted himself, Oetter pursues this unusual trade from his studio on Vancouver Island. His works can be seen in fine galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.