| Summary: | Moses Wassilie is a Yupik living in Anchorage, Alaska. About the Piece: "Halibut Spirit Mask AKA 'Sweet Lips!' was created in Alaska while and after the artist completed an artist-in-residency aboard Holland America's ms Amsterdam in the summer of 2003. Original carving is sized 28"hx29"wx6"d and I made with carved and painted wood, walrus ivory, brass nuts, seal skin, deer hide strips, abalone shells and beads. The design represents the fierce predacious Inua (human alter ego) in contrast with the smiling face of the male fish, which is painted blue for the sea & sky and red to represent the warm blood of human and the sun star. The twin fins on either side of the mask also represent fish that the halibut prey on, and the four paddles represent navigational aides (N.S.E.W.) and the four seasons. Originally there were five to represent fingers of the human hand with holes to let baby fish swim through so they could be allowed to grow and also slow the predator down as he tries to capture fish that we also depend on. They now have hooks attached, which was originally going to be incorporated into the nose after I obtained a piece of red cedar from Tillicum Island across Puget Sound. The last added were the brass nut eyes which were obtained from a street underpass near Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle, a gift from the people there. Thanks!" About the Artist: "The artist was born in a sod house at Nunapitchuk in Southwest Alaska in 1946; mother is Lucy Jacob, traditional Yupik dancer and subsistence trained woman and father was Wassilie B. Evan, subsistence Hunter and Fisherman and leader from Napapskiak. As a young boy, Moses spent his grade school years at the Moravian Children's Home in Kwethluk .graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe boarding school in 1967 where he started painting portraits using charcoal on Sitka pulp mill paper. Other schools include the Institute of Alaska Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico to study painting and the University of Alaska Fairbanks under Ron Senungetuck to study carving. The artist paints with pastel, acrylic and oil; was also trained by Paul Tiulana to produce King Island style drums, driftwood carvings and masks, and self-taught ivory jewelry." Information provided by the artist. eskimoe@alaska.net Phone: 907.333.3069 PO Box 211224, Anchorage, AK 99521-1224 This is one of several pieces of Mr. Wassilie's work donated to the Campus Library by Norman and Louise Rose. Others are "Raven's Final Transformation," "Wolf Bear Mask," and "Harpoon."
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