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Artworks
SUSIE PAALLENGETAQ SILOOK (1960-), SIBERIAN YUPIK / INUPIAQ)
Renewal, 2014marine ivory, baleen, ink, and Sapele wood, 21 x 4 x 4 in (53.3 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm)
signed and dated, "Susie Silook 2014".$ 8,500.00Further images
As mentioned in the preceding works, Susie Silook, a world-renowned Siberian Yupik and Inupiaq ivory sculptor, is celebrated for her fine craftsmanship and emotive carvings. Working primarily in walrus ivory,...As mentioned in the preceding works, Susie Silook, a world-renowned Siberian Yupik and Inupiaq ivory sculptor, is celebrated for her fine craftsmanship and emotive carvings. Working primarily in walrus ivory, she integrates wood, fur, and antler to create haunting female figures that explore trauma, recovery, and violence against Indigenous women. Her transformative works reflect a deep cultural and spiritual connection to the land. Silook’s art has been showcased in major exhibitions, earning her prestigious awards, including a Governor’s Award (2000) and a United States Artist Rasmuson Fellowship (2007).A sculpted walrus tusk depicting a sleek female form with a serene expression on her face and a walrus spirit emerging from her chest. As mentioned above, Silook is known for her female figures in various states of transformation and this is a classic example. The sinewy, piscine form of the woman also recalls depictions of Sedna in Canadian Inuit art, while the thick, red-ink filled incised designs are reminiscent of early 20th century ivory carvings from Nunivak Island, Alaska. While much of Silook’s work deals with generational trauma and colonial violence, pieces such as this one remind us that her work is also about renewal, as the title states, and healing.
1. Decolonizing Alaska exhibition catalogue. 2017. Bunnell Street Arts Center, Homer, Alaska, np.
Christopher W. Smith
Provenance
Stonington Gallery, Seattle, WA;
Acquired from the above by John & Joyce Price, c. 2015.
Exhibitions
Seattle, WA, Stonington Gallery, Stonington at 35, 4 Dec 2014 - 24 Jan 2015.
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