Andy Bruce is a Kwakwaka’wakw artist from Alert Bay, British Columbia, who has been carving for the majority of his life. In 1991, he studied under fellow Kwakwaka’wakw carver Jimmy Joseph. [1] This mask depicts an anthropomorphic bird transforming into a human that Bruce has identified as Hawkman. The mask is carved of red cedar and is painted in red, black, and yellow paints. The mask is covered in split-u forms representing feathers that are delineated by deep v-cuts. This style of carving reflects Jimmy Joseph’s influence and helps date the mask to the 1990s. The nose of the mask is rendered as the strongly hooked beak of a raptor, which is in turn mirrored in the way the lips of the mouth are pursed. The feathers on the cheeks of the face also continue down past the jawline, giving the appearance of jowls and creating an interesting outline for the mask.

1. Andy Bruce Biography. Hill’s Native Art. http://www.hills.ca/Native-Artists-Biographies-New-22.html#Andy Bruce

Christopher W. Smith