https://yupikjen.com/collections daily 0.75 2018-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518408883-KQQRG2YE7BJJS36CW8KU/dirt-and-rocks_603.jpg Collections - Tuunraq Moon Spirit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518408883-KQQRG2YE7BJJS36CW8KU/dirt-and-rocks_603.jpg Collections - Tuunraq Moon Spirit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518257315-6PZHUW4VCPX1L4KR5GK9/dirt-and-rocks_389.jpg Collections https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518153520-KDAGQ6ILHNNQYTGNMMWY/dirt-and-rocks_389.jpg Collections https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/5acf09d86d2a73de67873c96/5acf0b4c352f53c9cad2e172/1523518606733/ Collections https://yupikjen.com/new-gallery daily 0.75 2018-04-12 https://yupikjen.com/new-gallery-1 daily 0.75 2018-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518726279-02U0YRGWX59X3IBUVRT4/dirt-and-rocks_604.jpg New Gallery - Overwhelmed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518726279-02U0YRGWX59X3IBUVRT4/dirt-and-rocks_604.jpg New Gallery - Overwhelmed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523518653974-BG903U67MZR27YQQ6SS2/dirt-and-rocks_604.jpg New Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1523519271252-GGD94ISKPPGU25C28BRO/dirt-and-rocks_603.jpg New Gallery https://yupikjen.com/news daily 0.75 2024-12-31 https://yupikjen.com/news/2024/12/31/random-media-roundup monthly 0.5 2024-12-31 https://yupikjen.com/news/2020/12/14/interview-with-stonington-gallery monthly 0.5 2020-12-15 https://yupikjen.com/news/2020/12/14/2020-features-in-bainbridge-currents-online monthly 0.5 2020-12-15 https://yupikjen.com/news/2020/12/14/featured-in-crosscut monthly 0.5 2020-12-15 https://yupikjen.com/news/2019/3/15/yehawshowopening monthly 0.5 2019-03-16 https://yupikjen.com/blog-avenue daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://yupikjen.com/blog-avenue/2016/3/1/dubai-lyc7l monthly 0.5 2016-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56d4a125e707eb7a02e4055f/1456863401711-L4GULCMN1HZJY6XAFAQY/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Dubai https://yupikjen.com/blog-avenue/2016/3/1/budapest-mebp5 monthly 0.5 2016-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56d4a125e707eb7a02e4055f/1456863715325-IZSY1YJXJS57RY8JXID7/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Budapest https://yupikjen.com/blog-avenue/2016/3/1/paris-85awx monthly 0.5 2016-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56d4a125e707eb7a02e4055f/1456863897354-3K5CGNSC641EWCMIBK83/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Paris https://yupikjen.com/home-about daily 1.0 2022-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1655256256897-0UEDIYQO9ADH1RNMAPNX/Jennifer+Wood-CSC+content+111-0026.jpg Home-About Jennifer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/bedca416-dc08-4d81-bfe9-da83cc850c3c/WoodJenPhoto.jpg Home-About Jennifer Jennifer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547792959138-O8K1TIMBDB3H7ARELLXM/IMG_9809.JPG Home-About Jennifer - Cape Vancouver, Tununak, AK https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547792945134-FEGETCL1Q9E7C6R7R6OE/IMG_9810.JPG Home-About Jennifer - Looking to the Bering Sea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547792955181-HR1ELP86SLPZA5SHZHDW/IMG_9811.JPG Home-About Jennifer - The north hill of Tununak, AK. https://yupikjen.com/recent-carvings daily 0.75 2024-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547794039348-TCZLM4Z34VD7TLKADHEG/Jennifer%2BWood-CSC%2Bcontent%2B111-0026.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/59c184e2-0b5d-4c89-8714-3bfa12f1dba6/Wood_Inigun.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Inigun- Rock Formation Patterned by Action of Water on the Shore Inigun- Rock Formation Patterned by Action of Water on the Shore There are a few layers of meaning for this one: 1) This mask is inspired by the intertidal zone and the many resources that it provides to coastal peoples. It can be easy to overlook this region of the shoreline, but people the world over harvest seaweed, clams and oysters, and other foods, which are only available at low tide. I recently learned more about how Tlingit people harvest herring eggs, by putting hemlock branches along the shore and collecting them once the herring spawn. I even got to taste the eggs for the first time, and I was surprised to find they taste JUST like herring! Who would’ve thought! 2) I love that Yup’ik people have a word for something so specific. It speaks to the powers of observation and the intimacy with the earth that you find across Indigenous cultures. 3) While I worked on this piece, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that Washington State is one of the few states that sold tidal zones as private property. SEVENTY PERCENT of WA waterfront lands are privately owned. This brings up all sorts of issues about access, and I think the most important one is tribal access to traditional food sources. This access is a treaty right, but many private tidal land “owners” refuse to recognize this right and harass tribal members harvesting foods on their “private property.” Spend some time thinking about that one. SOLD Yellow cedar, pigments, wire, stone beads, shell beads, Delica beads, home tanned/dyed salmon skin, thread 18”h x 18”w x 2”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/bf310de6-f509-4590-b7bc-c79292251aee/WaterRelatives.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Water Relatives Water Relatives This mask relates to the relationship between humans and the water creatures we rely on for survival. Although their lives under water seem removed from ours on land, their existence is intertwined with ours, both for our survival and theirs. The forehead design is layers of whale tails, painted on the face are a walrus, bowhead whale, seal and beluga whale under a layer of gel medium to look like they’re under water. The circle and dot motif (which represents our place in the universe) in the forehead is filled with a mica disk held in place with a copper nail, and the universe rings are also copper, which is an offering to our ancestors. The hoop has hand-tanned and -dyed fish skin, which is sewed in place with metallic thread. I dyed the fish skins to have a lighter-to-darker gradient, like when you go deeper in the water, and for an extra-nerdy detail, the silverish beads around the hoop get larger from the bottom to the top, since air bubbles grow as they rise in the water due to the lessening of water pressure. SOLD Alder, pigments, charring, mica, copper, dowel, hand-tanned and -dyed salmon skin, thread, glass beads. 19” diameter x 4” deep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607982607870-DS4B0LCPD5QCW2E2RYOS/EverydayCourage+copy.JPG Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Everyday Courage Basswood, wire, acrylic paint, glass beads, feathers, moose hide, seed beads. 9”h x 6”w x 2”d SOLD - Sale price ($1200) has been donated to Q Youth Resources. This piece is an LGBTQIA2S+ honoring mask, to acknowledge the courage needed by many to simply live in their identities. The painted colors on the forehead are the Pride flag with the POC brown and black stripes, and I decided to include white to represent the sunlight after a storm going through a prism to create the rainbow. The beads on the top are patterned after several of the many flags that represent groups within this community: bisexual, pansexual, asexual, transgender, genderqueer/nonbinary, genderfluid, and nonbinary. Although I could not find any one symbol to represent Two Spirit people, I decided to peyote stitch two feathers together as if they were one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607985141918-PLK9LI0D1G8V1B7DGY96/IMG_9308.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Tides Of Time Alder, head pins, tiger’s eye beads, acrylic 15.5”h x 11.5”w x 5”d SOLD This piece is inspired by a photo my friend Sara Siestreem shared online. People usually refer to “the sands of time,” but really sand is created by the movements of tides and waves. Indigenous people the world over have long suffered from colonial pressures, forcing them away from their cultures. Many of us mourn the loss of those behaviors and beliefs, but recently I began wondering if rather than being gone they’ve just been buried. Such powerful traditions, after all, are not so easily destroyed, and I am beginning to believe they are still there, inside of us, waiting to reemerge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570036677625-CSXKSME146HALFA40PRT/Qakiiyaq-SilverSalmon+copy.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Qakiiyaq-Silver Salmon Alder, pigments, wire, dyed shell beads. 11"h x 9"w x 4"d SOLD This piece is based on one of my favorite masks, which is a seal with its mouth open and its yua (inner person) peeking out. My favorite salmon to catch and eat is silver (coho) salmon, so this is sort of a self portrait, as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570037523970-NWQWOK0PJ15GHSI41PBE/HoldingItIn1.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Holding It In Basswood, wire, feathers, pigments 10.5”h x 9”w x 2”d SOLD This mask captures the feeling when you really want to laugh at something but you can’t. The left side shows the outside view while the right side shows what’s happening inside the person. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570038036289-ZMHIXLH2WWT57CR868IR/Storm.JPG Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Through The Storm Alder, pigments. 7”h x 5”w x 3”d SOLD This mask is based on a print I did of the same name. It represents the struggles we all go through, and the challenge of continuing on even when we want to give up. While I carved this I especially thought of several of my aunties, one who lost a son, one who lost a husband, and one who fought cancer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570038775846-PT7568LSP7P76RQ796VJ/image-asset.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Song for the Moon Alder, pigment, wire, stone beads, seed beads, enameled copper 16"h x 16.25"w x 4.25"d SOLD This mask is based on a historic mask that is said to be a half moon. I have always loved the moon and the light it gives at night, so this is a tribute to her. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547759127364-JHPHFFRK165Q3M9DIZGV/IMG_0018.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Subsistence Woman In the Spirit Show - 2016, Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, WA SOLD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547760605376-QKTEBG72M3LUJZ53EB0R/18.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Spiritual Renewal Basswood, feather biots, charring pigments, seed beads 24”h x 22”w x 2”d SOLD During ceremonies, Yup’ik shaman would rub ash on their bodies to protect them from the spirit world. I used that idea by burning one side of the mask to show the ways that we try and protect ourselves from past hurts. The other side has crackle paint to represent the healing process – although we don’t heal perfectly, we are still whole and can use what we’ve learned to create positive change. The feathers represent birds as a connection to the Creator to help us heal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1556652157381-BEPGWE2PLV2CD0LSFDVN/ToBeWhoYouAre.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - To Be Who You Are Basswood, copper wire 13” diameter x 2” d SOLD My dad told me a story that when he was a boy in Tununak there was a man who chose to dress as a woman. He asked his dad why he dressed that way, and his dad said “That’s how he is.” There was no judgment, just acceptance. This mask is based on that story, and shows the ways in which being able to accept one’s inner spirit can bring calm and beauty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1556652624643-Z4GF9E5DFURCKIA4TJAY/SealSpirit.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Seal Spirit Basswood, beach-collected feathers, bone beads, pigments 15”h x 16”w x 6”d SOLD This mask is more traditional than I normally carve, but I think it’s important to reconnect with historic artwork to remind myself of my cultural history. This is based on a historic seal spirit mask, and would have been used during a dance to please the spirits of seals so they will offer themselves to hunters throughout the year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1556652320405-2WE371GDMYLFXL42X6JR/GrassSpirit.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Taperrnaq Yua – Beach Grass Spirit Basswood, beach grass, wire, stone beads, imitation sinew, pigment. 18”h x 14”w x 2”d SOLD I’m not sure how to describe this mask other than to say it came to me in a vision, at least the forehead design did, and the rest came later. Most people familiar with Yup’ik art know the driftwood spirit masks, which were made because driftwood was necessary for survival without trees in the region. Grass was just as important, and families had to gather huge amounts each year to use for everything from bedding to weaving storage containers, floor and kayak mats, and socks. The line across the eyes represents the spirit world, the partial hoop is covered in beach grass, and the stone discs represent water since that’s where the grass is collected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607984129464-3IW98VO0YVJ024VQI0OZ/Growth.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Growth Alder, Willow, Ivy Root, Feathers, Stone Beads, Glass Beads, Pigments, Imitation Sinew 25"h x 18.5"w x 3"d $2800 - Available at Sacred Circle Gallery, Ballard This piece represents the growth process. It can be painful, sometimes messy, but is always worth working toward. It’s a continuous cycle, and even when we’re working at it we still make mistakes, but it’s all part of being human. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1556652225228-UX5C84RLGO2080LQOTDY/YupikQueen.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Yup’ik Queen Alder, wolf fur, wolverine fur, seed beads, glass beads, ivory, moose hide 24”h x 14”w x 5”d $2800 - Available at Sacred Circle Gallery, Ballard I’ve wondered whether Indigenous people would have been treated differently by Europeans if they had looked and acted more like them. Although the answer is probably no, once I started thinking about what a Yup’ik Queen would look like I couldn’t get her out of my head. Here, I have used traditional elements of Yup’ik womanhood - dance headdress, earrings, a nose ring, chin tattoos to show her experience, and labrets - but made them more flashy than you would historically find. The headdress is made of wolf and wolverine fur, and I chose to leave the wolverine paws to reflect her determination and strength. Overall. This mask represents indigenous resilience and strength to continue living and rebuilding our cultures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/3060e726-5c0f-4bd4-8432-c9df9b610bff/Qaaq_Wave.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Qaak- Wave Qaaq-Wave My family spent a lot of time along the beach during our summer visits to Tununak, AK. One of my favorite parts was listening to the waves coming in, and noticing the differences between gentle waves and powerful ones. I’ve always been amazed by the power and immensity of the ocean, and the mysteries that it contains. The ocean and its waves still feels like magic to me, but they also feels like family and comfort. SOLD Yellow cedar, pigments, brass nails, dried and painted seal intestine, thread 17” diameter x 2.5” deep https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607982933515-90CMK557Q0YI8GQZMLSR/DSCF7595.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Anuqsuar (Breeze) Alder, red cedar, willow, pigments, beach grass, thread, feathers, imitation sinew. 8”h x 6”w x 4”d SOLD This is one of the more history-based masks I’ve done. The inspiration is the series of Yup’ik wind masks that are making the rounds to various museums over the last year or so, some of which are in the last two photos. I decided to make a mask for the smaller, gentler breezes of the world, so instead of wood hoops on the forehead I used beach grass from Tununak, and instead of wooden feathers I used downy feathers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607985299980-NPLA6YU6HEXV3DOES3BW/IMG_9322.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Spiritual Cycles Yellow cedar, acrylic, wire, wire mesh, gel medium, glass beads 19.5”h x 9”w x 2”d SOLD Native people along the coastal regions of Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest have long relied on salmon for survival, but the relationship isn’t just one of physical nourishment. Our relationship to salmon is spiritual, and we have always known that our destiny it tied to theirs. As salmon populations decline, their importance to humans and many other species and ecosystems is becoming clear, and the need to protect their waters is undeniable. It is our responsibility to do the necessary work to ensure their survival. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607984401083-7MXHN4EI8FJFVEE9Z3GJ/FuelToTheFlames.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Fuel To The Flames Red Cedar, Pigments, Charring 14.75"h x 8.25"w x 5"d When I was in middle school, a friend told me that after her mom met me she said “That Jennifer. She has a glimmer in her eye, like she’s up to something.” Truth be told, I usually was up to something, but my intentions were always good even when I didn’t get it right. Even though the phrase “add fuel to the fire” is usually used in a negative way, I try to remind myself that we get to choose which fires we encourage, which to let smolder, and which to snuff out. I continue to learn and work at it, and I find great joy in that process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607984257249-V3AI44LJ8ZIC8DZ9YZFX/image000001-5.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - The Space Between Yellow Cedar, Iridescent Acrylic, Delica Seed Beads, Head Pins 16"h x 14"w x 2"d SOLD In late 2018 I kept seeing and hearing the phrase ‘the space between’, and I wrote it down to remind myself to think about it. This mask is the result, and is a reminder to appreciate even the smallest moments in life. We get caught up in waiting for the next “big thing,” like a vacation or a new job, and we completely miss the everyday moments that make up our lives. The beads on top are the sunrise, and beads on the bottom are the sunset, and we live in…wait for it…the space between. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570036891456-ZVI9PCXR96IDD93HKFQA/TimeToFeast+copy.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Time to Feast Red cedar, yellow cedar, willow, feathers, pigments, artificial sinew. 19"h x 16"w x 4.25"d SOLD This mask is inspired by an early-20th century Yup’ik mask of an owl with a fish emerging from its mouth. This bird is imaginary, but speaks to the connection between healthy waters (for fish) and healthy air (for everyone). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607982836765-TNYX182IKX0HURI534T3/CheckingIn.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Checking In Alder, wire, stained glass, glass beads. 11”w x 11”w x 2.5”d SOLD Yup’ik people had specific behaviors that helped them preserve the relationship between the human, animal and plant worlds, and the members of those other worlds could check in on us to make sure we were doing our jobs. This seal is peeking out of the water to see what you’re up to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607982523612-MJW71H4YZQSC9GWX55OT/Wood_01+copy+2.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Short-Tailed Shearwater Yua (Spirit) Red cedar, pigments, feathers, seed beads. 15”h x 5”w x 3”d SOLD In the summer of 2018 I went out to Tununak, my family’s home village, for the first time in 17 years. One day I was walking on the beach and saw many dead birds washed up on shore, which I had never seen before in the many summers I had spent there as a kid. I asked my auntie about them, and she said that normally those birds are farther north, but they can’t find enough food and come south looking for some and end up dying of starvation. I looked it up, and the short-tailed shearwater migrates all the way to the Bering Strait from Australia, but they have been dying in large numbers, as have puffins, common murres and other sea birds, all because the water is warming and they can’t find food. This mask is a prayer for them. This piece is part of the City of Seattle Portable Artwork Collection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570037652026-XCAOHIJIYVKTWVNCJHEW/IMG-3789.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Raven’s Nature Basswood, oil pigment, homemade charcoal oil pigment, feathers 9”h x 9”w x 2”d SOLD A few years ago I read a story about how Raven used to be white and had a beautiful singing voice. One day he challenged Owl to a food-collecting competition to prepare for winter. Owl was diligent in collecting food, but Raven decided to be lazy and steal Owl’s stored food in the dark of night. He rolled in the ashes of a fire to cover his white feathers, and the ashes made him cough. However, he didn’t know that Owl is a night creature and witnessed the trick. Owl told Creator what he saw, and as punishment Creator made it so that Raven’s feather stayed black and he lost his beautiful singing voice. There are obvious lessons about the importance of preparation and honesty, but the story also speaks to Raven’s nature – he can’t help himself, he is a trickster at heart. This mask captures him in the middle of his transformation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570038258551-SBBGCLO81FWHWP1KEAGH/DSCF8299.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Bringing Back Spring Alder, pigment, wire, glass beads, seed beads, altered metal beads, Swarovski crystal beads. 8"h x 5"w x 1.5"d SOLD This mask was inspired by the excitement each spring of that first time hearing the geese heading north. The sound of honking would start at a distance, then my brain would register what I was hearing, and I’d look up to watch the flock overhead. This was the sign the sun was coming back and soon the hills would turn green. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/91933fca-ac2c-4078-8aa3-fdc7ca3fcf20/IMG_1791.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Finding The Way Home Finding the Way Home The idea for this piece began when I learned about the Math in a Cultural Context curriculum developed at UAF using traditional Yup’ik knowledge. The section on measurement demonstrates how Yup’ik people used their bodies as measuring units, so this qayaq outline is close to the dimensions I would use were I to build an actual qayaq. This piece is a smidge over 14 feet wide, a touch over 2 feet high, and about 2 inches deep. The qayaq has a seal outline and traditional Yup’ik line design, and the mask is based on a historic mask and uses traditional Yup’ik colors. The material surrounding the mask is painted dried seal intestine, which would historically be used for rain gear and embellishing clothing and tools (unpainted, of course). I almost named the piece “Finding the Way Back Home,” but in thinking about it I dropped the “back” since some people don’t necessarily have a home, literal or figurative, to go back to, so I wanted to capture the experiences of everyone, whether they are returning home or finding their first one. $14,000 Old growth red cedar, yellow cedar, pigments, dried seal intestine. 14’1.5”w x 2’1.5”h x 2.5”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/99989e56-ce4f-4854-ae0b-ec0068f28f0c/IMG_1323.heic.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Make it stand out Red cedar, pigments, glass seed beads 14”h x 8”w x 5”d SOLD This piece represents the yua, or inner human spirit, of salmon. These types of carvings relate to our respect for and responsibility toward the animals that have always sustained us. Climate change threatens the survival of salmon and many other species, which in turns threatens traditional ways of life and our cultural ties to the land. It is our obligation to find solutions to the climate crisis that we have created. In historic Yup’ik masks the face was typically carved on the back of the salmon, but the round of red cedar I used suggested this form. I had planned on putting attachments in that gap between the salmon’s head and tail, but ended up experimenting and simply inlaid glass beads in a water-like pattern. The inlaid bead technique is something I observed while studying the Yup’ik holdings of the Anchorage Museum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547759460423-0PJDEXSJM16NGB8SO332/IMG_9979.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Ancient Journey In the Spirit Show - 2014, Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, WA SOLD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607984975872-GNS5S2GSOXTIH5CL9021/IMG_9146.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Perseus Sings Red Cedar, Plate Glass, Stained Glass, Grout, Metal Ring 20"h x 20"w 5"d SOLD In 2002, astronomers discovered that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy Cluster, which is 250 million light years from earth, sings a single note, detectable only through X-ray observation. The note is a B-flat 57 octaves below middle C, and is estimated to have been constant for approximately 2.5 billion years. The sound may explain a celestial mystery – how galaxy clusters form. Astronomers have long wondered why the gas around galaxy clusters remains so hot instead of cooling and condensing to form trillions of stars. The sound from the black hole may be the answer, providing enough energy for the gas to remain hot and therefore supporting the growth of galaxy clusters, the largest structures in the universe. Black holes don’t just destroy, then; they also help create. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607984542711-ZPBSVIBEDSRV5Z1YF0LI/GrandmotherWalrus.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Grandmother Walrus Alder, Ebonized Alder, Willow, Driftwood, Caribou Antler, Pigments, Imitation Sinew 14"h x 24"w x 5"d SOLD This piece was started in 2017, but the original yua (inner human spirit) began cracking around the edge during the drying process, so I removed it and waited for inspiration to strike so I could finish the piece. I finally saw a photo of a mask recovered from the Nunalleq archaeological dig site in southwestern Alaska, which is focused on recovering artifacts that are being revealed through erosion driven by climate change, and I carved my own version. The sticks on the side are inspired by similar features on old masks, said to represent labrets, which were commonly worn by both women and men. I chose to use driftwood instead of straight sticks hanging down, because there are no trees along the coast of southeast Alaska and driftwood was necessary for survival, just as our elders’ teachings are necessary for our cultural survival. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607982248395-GEIH06C6RPAKSMI65IRP/Constellation.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Igigkaraat - Constellation Alder, pigments, diamond dust, Swarovski crystals, headpins, glass beads, shell beads. 10”h x 9”w x 4”d SOLD As with many cultures, Yup’ik people used the stars to navigate and had their own constellations. This mask represents a galaxy and the crystals are in the shapes of several Yup’ikconstellations. Clockwise from the top are Qimugta (The Dog), the arrow part of Pitegcaun (Arrowhead), Taluyat (The Blackfish Trap), Tunturyuk (The Caribou) and Agyarrluk (the North Star). I learned about these constellations from the Math in a Cultural Context curriculum from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570037322501-YMVS8TEJMOITQ8YZAF7X/Puffin1.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Qilangaq Yua - Horned Puffin Spirit Alder, pigments, feathers. 15"h x 14"w x 4"d SOLD Sometimes I stare at a piece of wood until I can see a form in it, and that is what happened here. This piece became a puffin spirit mask, with the puffin’s yua (human spirit) peering out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570037880694-ET4X82S8AW928VY1DN9T/Journey1.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Journey To the Beyond Alder, pigments, copper netting, stone beads, nylon cord 13”h x 7”w x 4”d SOLD This mask is based on a story Ron Manook (my first carving teacher) told me- he said that Athabascans believe that when someone passes away a white raven takes them to the afterlife. This story took on deeper meaning when he passed away suddenly in 1999, and I’m pretty sure he had something to do with this mask since it’s been 20 years since his death. The black represents the spirit world the soul is entering into, and the red on the chin is the living world they are leaving. The beads represent the people who knew them in life and become the holders of their memory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570038420251-BS2QQBKWGTAVNEDQZZ0T/DSCF5495-1.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - The Elements Help Lift The Sky Yellow Cedar, basswood, copper, acrylic 22"h x 22"w x 5.25"d SOLD This piece is based on the story that was the basis for the yəhaw̓ indigenous art show in Seattle, WA (https://yehawshow.com/). i initially planned to have tribal peoples represented in the surrounding masks, but as I worked on the piece I started thinking about how humans rely on the land to survive, so we need healthy land, air and water to be healthy ourselves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570039283780-GZYM6ZR7AUOQV8IYWXE4/IMG_2093.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Rising Waters Basswood, pigments, gel medium, bone beads, seed beads, volcanic rock beads 16.5”h x 9”w x 2”d SOLD The title for this piece can be taken literally as the dangers posed by rising waters, such as floods, erosion and disappearing coastlines. The title can also be figurative, reflecting the way that someone starts to experience their own strength and voice. Many issues affecting Native communities revolve around water, and I’m inspired by the ways more and more communities are finding themselves and taking stands for the health of their people and waterways. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547759931059-C83M4FJ6IHCUENU3MV44/Travelers.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Travelers In the Spirit Show - 2016, Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, WA. Winner "Honoring Innovation Award" SOLD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547760851087-OW00WKIZEHFTDBMR7SAP/IMG_1421.jpeg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Checking Nets With My Ap’a Alder, glass seed beads, quartz beads, pigments. 14.5”h x 8.5”w x 4”d SOLD When I was a kid my family spent summers in Tununak, my dad’s home village on the shores of the Bering Sea. One of my favorite things to do was to go upriver with my Ap’a (grandpa) to check his nets for whitefish and trout. This mask represents those times, and I wanted the fish to have a dreamy feel to capture the ways our childhood memories continue to impact our lives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570038988536-T2QZYCILIGMPQRVZTMTI/Aware.jpg Carvings-2019 to 2021 - Becoming Aware Alder, wire, glass beads, metal beads and iridescent paint 11”h x 8.5”w x 2.5”d This mask is based on the phrase “when I became aware,” which is found in elders’ narratives and references moments in their lives when they understood something important about themselves or about life, usually in their youth. I’ve only recently come to understand that we have these moments throughout our lives, and that they are signs we are always learning, growing and changing. I contributed this piece to the Spirit of Alaska Gala in San Francisco in support of the Alaska Conservation Foundation. https://yupikjen.com/older-masks daily 0.75 2022-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547761354038-I24NLA7O0Z3SGIR9MLFD/KuikYuaOnWhite.jpg Older Masks Kuik Yua - River Spirit, 2018 This mask embodies the power of rivers to create and change landscapes. Personal collection. Yellow cedar, glass seed beads. 18”h x 12”w x 2”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547761538046-214Y2OXQUDE3FUK9R6QO/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks Merr-aq - Feast for the Dead, 2018 There are two ideas at work in this mask. The first is based on a quote I read years ago that has stuck with me: “Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy.” It was attributed only as an “Eskimo proverb,” and while I don’t know whether that’s true or not, I like the idea of having our ancestors and relatives with us on a regular basis. Stars normally would be represented on the forehead of a Yup’ik mask as a blue background with white spots, but I chose to represent them using diamond dust applied to look like the Milky Way. The Feast for the Dead was a ceremony held each year to honor and feast those who had passed on during the previous year. During the ceremony, women would use eagle feather wands to invite the spirits to return to the world of the living to be given food, water, and anything they would need during the coming year. The replica eagle feathers signify both those wands and my creating art as a way for me to connect with the spirits of my ancestors. Private collection in Portola Valley, CA. Alder, pigments, imitation eagle feather, seed beads, diamond dust. 20”h x 10”w x 5”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547761791631-VKCZAQQLOJ8V08M2WSLM/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks Snow Happy, 2018 This mask is a representation of the joy winter can bring - even when it is cold the land is still beautiful. Private collection in Tucson, AZ. Basswood, pigments, seed beads 12”h x 10”w x 2”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547762348898-D8TU6IDTOA7WX4111G3V/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks She’s Always Looking for Mountains, 2017 This mask was inspired by someone close to me who spent several years working at ski resorts. Private collection in Fairbanks, AK. Basswood, plastic straws, LED lights. 12”h x 8”w x 3”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547762543801-XHUNZOERVFIPAC7TMKZ7/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks They Dance When You Whistle, 2017 When I was a kid in Alaska, I was told that if you whistled when the Northern Lights were out they would dance for you. The beads move when the mounting wire is plucked. Private collection in Galena, AK. Basswood, pigments, seed beads, wire 15”h x 8”w x 3”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547761912984-46CP83OZ35DTL3UNHRN3/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks As We Go Through Our Days, 2017 This piece is a State of Alaska Percent for Art project. It represents the many emotions we can experience in a day, and highlights the fact that as time passes those emotions can change. As this piece is in a middle school, it is designed to encourage understanding of and respect for others’ emotional experiences. Public collection of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Ryan Middle School, Fairbanks, AK. Basswood, yellow cedar, red cedar, pigments Total installed dimensions: 15’ x 15’. Dimensions of wolverine mask: 18:h x 10:d x 10:w. Dimensions of face masks: 12”h x 8-10”w x 2”d. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547762839254-J67C9JC2CX9VOYAM2269/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks Overwhelmed, 2016 This mask is inspired by the word “chaos.” Everyone feels overwhelmed by life at times, whether from family and work obligations, stressful situations, or the constant barrage of the media. When my life starts feeling chaotic, I usually have a calm exterior but internally I sometimes feel like I am falling apart. The ceramic insulators on this piece were given to me from a house remodel, and I found them to be a good representation of the scattering of my thoughts during difficult times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547762689646-XGZFJ7VJI3M7N6FNHYF9/2.jpg Older Masks Tuunraq - Moon Spirit, 2016 This mask is inspired by a traditional shaman tuunraq (helper spirit) mask. It is a type of nepectat (“sticks to the face”) mask, which were said to float off the ground and stick to the shaman’s face without any straps. The original mask was surrounded by a board, and I chose to represent that shape with the placement of the cracked quartz beads, which look like little moons to me. Private collection in Tacoma, WA. Yellow cedar, pigments, wire, quartz beads. 18.5”h x 23”w x 2”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1547763138065-AA23IIXSP1B5ZHCD4NLA/image-asset.jpeg Older Masks Ellam Yua, 2014 A photo of a Yup’ik woman from 1929 is the main inspiration for this mask. In it, she is wearing earrings that hang from ear to ear, which I have recreated with the hanging beads. The headband is reminiscent of a headdress that a woman would wear while dancing, and the lines on the chin are patterned after traditional Yup’ik women’s tattoos. The colors red, blue, black and white are the colors commonly found in historical Yup’ik art, which I have incorporated with the colors of the beads. The mask is also inspired by the phrase “ellam yua,” which means “person of the universe.” I believe we are all people of the universe, and one way to recognize this is by honoring and embracing our heritages. Private collection in Tacoma, WA. Alder, glass seed beads, moose hide, pigment. 16”h x 10”w x 2.5”d https://yupikjen.com/contact daily 0.75 2022-06-15 https://yupikjen.com/2dimensional daily 0.75 2025-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/d88028d5-0b61-45b6-a48f-373049a6707a/IMG_8196.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Beast of our own making Beast of Our Own Making The inspiration for this painting is two-part. First, the central sea monster is called a palraiyuk. It shows up in Yup’ik artwork frequently, often painted on hunters’ paddles and qayaq bottoms. It’s said that these designs were an acknowledgment to the palraiyuk, to let it know the hunter meant no harm and to request safe passage. Frequently portrayed with body parts in each of its three stomachs, these were dangerous creatures that were known to devour people who weren’t careful. Second, the swirling red is based on a false-color image of Typhoon Merbok as it approached the west coast of Alaska, ultimately heavily damaging and in some cases destroying communities along the coast. Typhoons and hurricanes are increasingly worse each year, a direct effect of climate change. It is only a matter of time until we are devoured by our own creation. $450 Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas. 12”h x 12”w https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/dd6d978e-39dd-49d0-9945-d5428c75f3eb/Screen+Shot+2022-06-14+at+4.23.21+PM.png Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out How the Sun and Moon Came To Be A husband and wife lived together, along with another woman. The wife hated the other woman because her husband sometimes went to her at night. One day, the wife decided it was time for her to leave, so she put on her warm clothes and left. The husband, realizing she had gone, went after her. The wife kept running and the husband kept chasing her. Everntually, the wife saw some lights in the sky and went to them, and she found a village there and she spent some time with the residents. Her husband eventually caught up so she left again, and this continued until the wife created so much heat she became the sun, and her husband became the moon, forever chasing her through the sky. $700 - Available at Raven Makes Gallery Oil pencil on 1836 celestial map. 14”h x 16”w https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/dca545c9-3f7a-4f88-9383-f3ce440461ab/IMG_1754.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Our Elders’ Stories The elder figure is based on a photo I took of my grandma a few years ago, and surrounding her are just a few of the many characters you’d find in Yup’ik stories. I included some historic-style line drawings as a visual connection to our ancestry. SOLD Oil pencil on antique map of Norton Sound in Alaska. Approx. 8”h x 10”w https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/ed3ded2e-3c42-4a52-943e-99551041d09a/IMG_2089.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Salmon Song Salmon show up in a lot of my pieces because they have been and continue to be vital to the survival of Yup’ik people and many other Native groups from Alaska all the way down to California. However, the ecosystems salmon live in, from their natal streams to the deep oceans where they spend around 7 years before returning to spawn, are being significantly impacted by climate change. In Alaska, the king (chinook) salmon fishery on the Yukon River has been near collapse for a decade, and even stronger runs of other salmon species are becoming more unpredictable. Everything from water temperature to spring rains to summer droughts affect the number of salmon that are able to survive, thereby affecting the people and cultures that rely on them. We all must continue to assess and improve upon the ways in which we live alongside this planet, myself included. SOLD 24”w x 18”h. Acrylic on paper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607994082388-IPQIR32BXWAI9Y8U6462/YupikHeaddress.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Yup’ik Headdress This is my first linocut print, which is of a traditional woman’s headdress, which would be used during Yup’ik dancing. $45 - limited availability Linocut. Image is 4”w x 6”h. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570040309036-J602KXJXK10WRJMTFM28/Fractured.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Fractured This image is intended as an optical illusion, with the face in the middle difficult to differentiate from the outer portion, which is reminiscent of a parka ruff. It speaks to the difficulties of being Indigenous in the modern world, and the feeling of being pulled in many directions but not being sure which way to go. It is also an image of hope, though, as oftentimes we have to be broken before we can put ourselves back together in a truer form. $90 - Limited edition. Also available in graphite. Linocut. Image is 8”w x 10”h. Limited edition, $90. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607995373891-262GE0LUECH87PWUR5JK/IMG_9228.jpeg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Emergent This image represents the difficult emergence out of darkness and chaos. $90 - Limited edition. Linocut. Image is 10” x 8” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/adee4fed-6372-4a0c-bc8d-7bb0ddae24a2/IMG_8199.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Storyteller The dark colors of this painting are meant to invoke the dim light of a Yup’ik qasgiq, or men’s house. I am unable to speak the Yup’ik language but I love to listen to it, and I remember listening to my Ap’a’s voice as he told stories. I didn’t know what he was saying, but I spent a lot of time trying to imagine going along on the journey with him. I still love stories and they drive all of my artwork. Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas. 12”w x 36”h https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/03a8f54d-4bc4-409d-b3a7-c0e0ff3150e0/IMG_2086.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Just Below the Surface This painting is an effort to capture that fleeting glimpse of movement as a sea creature darts by. I’m always amazed that there is so much we can’t readily see, both in nature and in life. $1200 - Available at Sacred Circle Gallery, Ballard Acrylic on paper. 24”w x 18”h https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/bee4e62b-ddc3-46b3-a003-8017bdc126c0/Screen+Shot+2022-06-14+at+4.25.03+PM.png Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Goodnews Bay Bird Yua This drawing is based on an historic mask of a bird and it’s yua, or human spirit, showing on its back. SOLD Oil pencil on 1825 antique map of the Bering Sea region. 18”h x 20”w https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/721fd865-29aa-47e7-8aa9-a0b12c30864c/IMG_2088.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Release From Salvation I painted this piece while thinking about the Indigenous children’s bodies being found in mass graves at residential and boarding schools across Canada and the United States. There aren’t enough words to convey the feelings, thoughts and emotions that Indigenous people are experiencing now and have experienced since the beginnings of these so-called schools. It is important for all people to learn about these places and what happened at them, read about the experiences of survivors and know that there are many more who are not willing to share what they went through, and stay informed as more graves are uncovered. This painting attempts to capture the moment when the children’s spirits are released from the horrors they experienced in life. SOLD 24”w x 18”h. Acrylic on paper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607994986916-51H5V5FL30JCUXV6G7KF/ThroughTheStorm.jpeg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Through The Storm This image is based on my reflecting on the strength the women in my family have shown, through the loss of loved ones, health struggles, financial difficulties, and everything in between. I tried to capture the struggle and determination to get through it all. $90 - Limited Edition Linocut. Image is 8”w x 10”w https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1570040641666-P7JKDH90QYJL701QGN05/ChildhoodMemories.jpeg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Childhood Memories This image is based on my memories of spending summers in Tununak, AK, my family’s home village. The boy is based on how I imagine my dad was when he was young, and Cape Vancouver is in the background. $90 - Limited edition Linocut. Image is 10”w x 8”w. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607995488377-W2WW0FN4VI0OVW572N8Y/IMG_9246.jpeg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Ancestral Dreams It’s up to the viewer to decide if our ancestors are dreaming about us or we are dreaming about them. The animals are done in the Yup’ik “x-ray” style to show their internal structures. I purposely broke the bounds of the print with the background colors, to emphasize the fuzzy edges of dreams. $90 - Limited edition. Linocut. Image is 8” x 10”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/05f65f2f-ff3c-4c79-9920-bd315b1c6bc3/IMG_8212.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Treasures/Sirens The seals are gold and copper. From one direction, this is to show the value of seals (and all of our animal/fish/plant relatives) in traditional Yup’ik culture. They are our true treasures, from the sustenance they provide to the teachings they bring us. From the other direction, the gold and copper are a connection to the active and proposed mines found throughout Alaska Native regions in Alaska. These mines, which extract gold, copper, and platinum, are the very source of pollution that is damaging, potentially irreversibly, marine and fresh water ecosystems. These precious metals call to us and lead us astray, confusing us as to what is really valuable to our peoples. Acrylic triptych on salvaged pine boards. 34”w x 36”h https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/56daf018-62cd-410b-b5a9-740252c54a33/IMG_8204.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Spawning Salmon The intent of this piece is to capture the spirit of salmon as they work to get back to their birth stream to spawn. The faces on their backs are their individual yua, or inner human spirit. It is important to acknowledge and treat all creatures with respect, otherwise they will not return to sustain us. $1600 - Framed Acrylic on plexiglass, image is approx. 24”w x 30”h. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/40003c88-5a1b-4ff0-9114-6cd30971f813/Screen+Shot+2022-06-14+at+4.26.18+PM.png Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Paired Dance Fans This drawing is representative of an historic pair of Yup’ik dance fans. The feathers are damaged in the photo I referenced, so I chose to portray them as I imagined they looked when they were newly made. SOLD Oil pencil on 1885 antique map showing Alaska Native groups. 4.5”h x 4.5”w https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/46ab9871-ffe4-4bdb-aa95-ac366e90f29f/IMG_2087.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings - Make it stand out Raven Has Always Been A Trickster This painting is based on a story about how Raven used to be pure white and had a beautiful singing voice. He was vain and was always bragging about his feathers and voice and showing off to the other animals. One day, Raven decided he would challenge Owl to a food-collecting competition. Owl rolled his eyes but agreed, and set about to collecting food. Raven, however, wasted time and collected nothing, so he decided he would simply steal Owl’s food under the cover of darkness. On the chosen night he snuck to where Owl’s house was and, finding an old fire pit, rolled in the ashes to disguise himself, but he kicked up too much ash and started coughing. Owl, being nocturnal, saw everything that Raven was doing, and he complained to Creator that Raven was cheating in the competition he himself had declared! As punishment, Creator made it so Raven’s feathers remained as black as night, and his voice stayed scratchy. I’ve done a mask based on this story, but I love how it captures Raven and how, no matter what, he can’t help who he is. It’s also a testament to the power of knowing who you’re dealing with. Owl agreed to the competition, but knew to still keep an eye on Raven. SOLD 24”w x 18”h. Acrylic paint on paper https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607994884692-WMSVNZJ0P2QSE4K82WGC/DivingSeal+copy.jpg Prints-Paintings-Drawings Diving Seal This image is of a seal, which coastal Natives have relied on for thousands of years. $90 - Limited edition. Also available in graphite and green. Linocut. Image is 8”w x 10”w. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/1607995237624-13U51YNH74U2D9KGBVAD/IMG_9226.jpeg Prints-Paintings-Drawings The First Sign of Light The image is intentionally very subtle, with black and red ink on black paper, and shows someone who has been in darkness seeing the first hint of light. I’ve spent a lot time reflecting on these difficult times, as we all have, and this print is a prayer of hope that everyone finds their light, and that those who are struggling deeply can hold on long enough for their light to find them. $75 - Limited edition Linocut. Image is 6” x 5.5” https://yupikjen.com/pagecv daily 0.75 2024-12-31 https://yupikjen.com/carvings-20222024 daily 0.75 2025-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/22285fc3-64e5-4a62-b61e-060f5a0cfac0/D9E435BD-D1F7-4758-B6FB-1FF071871C08.jpeg Carvings 2022-2024 - Ataucikun - All Together Yellow cedar, red cedar branches, pigments, salvaged feathers, waxed twine. 24”h x 13”w x 2.5”d $2600 A central expectation of Yup’ik traditional life is mutual respect between the human, animal/plant, and spirit worlds. Rules were established for human behavior in particular so that the balance between these worlds was maintained and stayed healthy. Misbehavior led to imbalance, which led to the animals, plants, and even driftwood to withhold themselves from the offending people. These relationships continue today as living relationships. Coastal and river Native peoples continue to advocate for proper care of salmon and other wildlife populations so that they remain healthy and can continue to nourish our communities. The work of these advocates is grounded in our cultural traditions, and I hope their efforts inspire everyone to take part in returning our lands to balance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/46887d6c-87c8-4760-982f-74d3b94fb40a/8EC27DCD-CFBB-4130-A5EF-60010E505AF5.jpeg Carvings 2022-2024 - Cill’aq-Circular Calendar Stained glass, lead came, old growth red cedar, pigments, copper wire, chain 24” diameter x 2”d $3200 - SOLD The Western calendar, also known as the Gregorian calendar, has a clear beginning and end, and is always presented in a linear fashion. Many Indigenous societies, though, recognized time as cyclical, and many calendars or calendar-like tools show this understanding as a circle. The colors of the glass are intended to represent the changing seasons and the way in which one season melds into the next in a never-ending cycle. The designs on the mask are intended to represent a deepening of this concept, with the understanding that living in harmony with the world and time also requires an acceptance of the interconnectedness of all things. Preparations for one season do not occur in that season, they have to be done in the previous seasons. We also have to accept that something happening “over here” will absolutely affect something “over there.” As humans, we are not above or below the world around us, we are equal to it. The circle-and-dot motif on the forehead represents our inextricable place in the universe, the lines above and below the eyes represent air, land and water, and the thick lines around the eyes represent spiritual protection, to prevent us from falling prey to wrong-ways of thinking and behaving. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/5c28a9e2-2484-4233-8abf-d04a2e1f8767/IMG_5305+2.jpg Carvings 2022-2024 - Raven Saves His Daughter Basswood, red cedar, basket rings, dowels, feathers, dried seal intestine, acrylic paint, imitation sinew, copper wire, nails. 28"h x 22.5"w x 7.5"d Auctioned at the Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation’s Raven’s Ball 2024 This mask is based on an old Yup'ik story. One day, Raven's daughter was jigging for tomcod on some shore ice. The ice broke away and she was floating out to sea. Other animals told Raven what they saw, and Raven gathered dirt into the lower part of his shirt and threw it onto the ice. Wherever the dirt fell became land, saving his daughter's life. This story felt fitting since it's about keeping an eye out for others and doing what we can to help them. Although it is his own daughter that Raven saves, other animals alerted him to the situation so he could help her. Raven's qaspeq at the top is made of dried seal intestine, and the tomcod, wings and feet are attached by feathers. I observed this method of attaching pieces during my artist visit at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/ceb82ff7-ae2f-4db1-8a88-f6d4ecdaeeb3/IMG_1317.jpg Carvings 2022-2024 - Kuvyi~ - To Make a Net Alder, Dowels, Wooden Hangers, Copper Wire, Dyed Horn Beads, Acrylic Paint 16"h x 18"w x 5"d $3800 - SOLD The design of this mask is based on an old Yup’ik ivory or bone net shuttle. Net shuttles are simple but important tools used to hold the material used for weaving nets. These tools are found throughout the world, both in history and the modern day, and my ancestors used them to make nets to catch fish and birds. Shuttles can also be used to mend damaged nets, which is the idea that inspired this mask. Nets get damaged as part of their normal use, but they are not tossed aside once this happens. Instead, the hole is repaired, sometimes with the original material and sometimes with a substitute. The important aspect is that the net continues to do its work, whether or not it looks and feels as it once did. This piece is about mending our own nets, and maybe even sometimes making new ones, but continuing on as we find ways to heal and make ourselves whole again. In terms of materials and design, white, red, and blue (as well as black) are the most common colors traditionally used on Yup'ik masks. The designs on the seals are inspired by the original artifact and other Yup'ik line design. The copper is an offering to our ancestors, which is a teaching I learned from Yup'ik elder Chuna McIntyre's work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/fa83f89e-32d3-4f2c-bf79-fedf52dedecf/28EC8EDA-9D05-4EA3-AABD-1B13A7528DBF.jpeg Carvings 2022-2024 - Kellarvik - Grass Basket Yellow cedar, acrylic paint, home-tanned and -dyed salmon skin, copper wire, vintage braided beach grass 16”w x 16.5”h x 2 3/4”d $3200 - SOLD My grandma created beautiful baskets out of the beach grass that grows abundantly around Tununak, AK. I spent countless hours watching her expertly weave and sew each basket, observing how she prepared the grass and pulled out small bundles from the plastic bag at her side. The shape of the mask is based on the outline of one of these types of baskets, and the design on the forehead is a common geometric pattern found across the Yup'ik region. I tanned the salmon skins and chose to dye them in colors that made me think of the sharing and passing down of knowledge between generations. The braided grass around the outer rim is from an old Yup'ik storage basket gifted to me by some lifelong friends. I used copper wire as an offering to my ancestors, which is a teaching I learned from watching a video of Yup'ik culture bearer Chuna McIntyre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/4784ad02-3d63-405e-a704-70094e65fb2b/IMG_3287.jpeg Carvings 2022-2024 - Checking in II Alder, stained glass, plate glass, metal rings, grout, pigments 20” diameter x 4” deep $2800 - SOLD This mask relates to the story of the boy who lived with the seals for a year. He was transformed into a seal during this time, and the seals taught him the correct ways of living in exchange for offering themselves to humans for food and material resources. After the year was over, the boy turned back into a human and was responsible for teaching his community the rules he learned. Since that time, seals continue to check up on us to ensure that we are upholding our agreed-upon responsibility. https://yupikjen.com/weapons-of-war-tools-of-renewal daily 0.75 2024-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/614cbb35-468c-471e-ace9-c62098ddfdd8/490C6DC9-663C-4AC2-8CE8-CC85BBDDA4BA.jpeg Weapons of War; Tools of Renewal - Make it stand out Destruction The first piece in the series is "Destruction," and is one of the simplest methods used by colonizers for thousands upon thousands of years. This concept came to me when I read an article about South American quipu (in Spanish) or khipu (in Quechua), which were sets of strings with a complex system of knots used to record all sorts of information, from inventories to genealogical histories. Although once common throughout South America, it took researchers a long time to decipher the sophistication of the system since the majority of them had been burned by the Spanish. An important aspect of this mask, though it's burned and damaged, is that the yua, the inner spirit, is untouched. The yua represents our memories, as Indigenous people, that have survived in our minds and bodies, and which are in the process of reemerging. SOLD (Bainbridge Island Museum of Art) Basswood, charring, pigments, feathers, willow, beach-weathered bone. 16”w x 20.5”h x 2.5”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/6377ec41-5752-4dd9-879a-27020cc48458/First+Growth.jpg Weapons of War; Tools of Renewal - Make it stand out First Growth “First Growth” represents the renewal of an area after the destruction of a forest fire. Fireweed is among the first plants to emerge post-fire, along with ferns and mosses. It really is incredible to see fireweed in a charred landscape, with the vibrant pinks and greens against fire-blackened grasses and trees. It’s a reminder to acknowledge the destruction but to then remember what was there before and move toward rebuilding it, different than it once was but still beautiful. An additional layer is that some seeds require the fire’s heat to germinate. The seeds were always there, laying dormant under the soil for many years, they just needed to be nudged awake. NFS- undergoing a transformation Yellow cedar, charring, stone beads, fresh pearl beads, wire, aluminum sheet, willow 19”w x 43”h x 10”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/2166ace2-59c9-436d-815d-afbfd103ed9c/11FCE281-7C44-490E-B0D0-94B4EAFDF930.jpeg Weapons of War; Tools of Renewal - Make it stand out his X mark "his X mark" is based on how many of the treaties between Native American/American Indian Tribes and the US Government were signed by the chiefs who entered into these agreements on behalf of their people (see the second photo for an example). The chiefs had little to no understanding of English, written language, ownership of the land, or promises that were never intended to be kept. They were not unintelligent people, they were people whose hands were forced in ways too numerous to count. SOLD (Bainbridge Island Museum of Art) Alder, vintage ink, antique mother of pearl pens, vintage pen nibs, wire, metal letters 17”w x 19.5”h x 4.5”d https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5acf08a796d455202b7b15bd/330cb0ce-14f3-47b2-a2dc-3c7a5943fd07/Laughter+Humor.jpg Weapons of War; Tools of Renewal - Make it stand out Humor/Laughter The stereotype of the Indigenous people of what is known as the United States was popularized by early movies and TV shows. The way Native people were presented was always caricature - enlarged noses, red skin, a vocabulary consisting of “How” and war whoops. No matter the storyline, The Indian was one of several types: stoic, dangerous, lustful, or stupid, none of which were based in reality. Away from the screen, in real life community, there is one quality I have found Indigenous people to always possess: humor. Our gatherings are always full of joy and laughter, even when the purpose of the gathering is sad or upsetting. Even in the face of truly awful experiences, we find the slivers of humor scattered in the rubble. That joy has kept us together, has helped us build bonds between tribal communities that historically would never have met, and has helped us find the other side of pain and sorrow. It is beautiful, and it is necessary. SOLD (Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK) Old growth red cedar, pigments, beads, hat pins, willow 26”w x 28.5”h x 8.5”d https://yupikjen.com/about-avenue daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56d4a125e707eb7a02e4055f/1456776682638-ETQYPR9PTECZWF5HLAON/image-asset.jpeg About