Lawrence "Larry" Ahvakana has worked across stone, wood, bronze, glass, and paper for more than six decades, continually expanding the possibilities of Alaska Native art. He began his formal training at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe under Allan Houser (1914-1994), then continued at Cooper Union and the Rhode Island School of Design. Across these materials and influences, Ahvakana developed a sculptural language entirely his own. [1]

In this large bust, Ahvakana carves Arizona pipestone into the figure of a Greenlandic woman, her hair gathered into a traditional beaded top knot. The choice of stone recalls his years in the American Southwest, while the subject has a broad Arctic presence. He smooths the torso into broad, full planes, omits the arms entirely, and gives the face a contained, sculptural presence that recalls Allan Houser.

Ahvakana also uses the subject to connect two northern worlds. As an Iñupiaq artist from Alaska, his depiction of a Greenlandic woman speaks to the deep cultural and ancestral ties that extend across the Arctic. At the same time, the rounded breasts, frontal pose and armless form draw on classical sculptural traditions.

This work also holds particular importance within Ahvakana's practice. He carved it as the original stone sculpture from which he later produced a series of bronze casts.

1. Larry Ahvakana, http://ahvakana.com/resume.htm. Accessed 14 March

2025.

2. Personal communication from the artist with Christopher W. Smith

CWS with FA