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I had originally created this piece by building a @pal_tiya form and then adding the glass tile mosaic, but then struggled to manage the attachment point to the base. I was going to start over with a more robust internal structure, but the art coordinator, Cath Brunner, suggested I look into having it cast in bronze like the other pieces, and holy wow, @tworavensstudio knocked it out of the park!
Though I am primarily a carver , the first Indigenous art practice I was exposed to was beadwork. I am amazed at the patience and generosity of the beaders I have met, and this piece is a small way to recognize them for the many ways they have influenced my life and artwork. This mask acknowledges the generations of Indigenous people, primarily women, who took thread and tiny pieces of glass and made them into something beautiful, something worthy of the people for whom the pieces were being made.
The patterns are in honor of Alaska Native beading and parka patterns, with my favorite, the forget-me-not, on the forehead. The post design is based on the Rock People found on the hills of Tununak, AK.Label
The artist envisioned this piece as a way to recognize Indigenous beaders for the many ways they have influenced her life and artwork. This mask acknowledges the generations of Indigenous people, primarily women, who took thread and tiny pieces of glass and made them into something beautiful, something worthy of the people for whom the pieces were being made. The patterns are in honor of Alaska Native beading and parka patterns, with the artist’s favorite, the forget-me-not, on the forehead.