In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated this year on Monday, October 12, we would like to share excerpts from a recent publication from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco celebrating Native artists from the Far North: Yua, Spirit of the Arctic: Highlights from the Thomas G. Fowler Collection. The works in the collection were made by diverse artists separated by great distances and time who are nonetheless united by the concept of yua (Yup’ik) or inua (Iñupiaq), a recognition that all things, including objects, have a unique inner essence or spirit.
The artworks, be they utilitarian, decorative, or ceremonial, highlight the raw materials used to make them—walrus tusk, whalebone, driftwood, stone—evoking the Arctic environment and exhibiting an exquisite appreciation of form and design. This new publication combines art historical and anthropological essays with lively, personal accounts from artists and scholars, exploring the connection between humans and the environment, the interwoven nature of the spiritual and the quotidian, and the aesthetics of Arctic life.
Included here are excerpts from statements made by contemporary artists Abraham Anghik Ruben and David Ruben Piqtoukun about their works in the collection.
