Statement

My current work focuses on exploring material as a reference of time and consciousness as Alaska Native People. Glass permeates our momentary ephemerality; the present. Metal conveys the eternal awareness our cultures embody. Wood amalgamates these facets through the transformation of traditions and establishment of new ones through communal collaboration. Throughout this, Spirituality and Shamanism are core concepts I am investigating to generate deconstructive conversations. These knowledge systems have been oppressed through colonization, and I believe, as did our oppressors, that these are pillars of empowerment, and it is imperative for us to reclaim and practice them.

Bio

Brian Walker II (he/him) is an international Inupiat and Deg Hit’an woodcarver and multi-material sculptor from Anchorage, AK. He is currently an MFA candidate at Alfred University in their Sculpture Dimensional Studies program. He is a lifelong educator that designs and teaches Art and Culturally Relevant Curriculum from grades K-12 as well as at the university level. Brian graduated with his BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2019, and interned with the Walt Disney Imagineering Company in 2018. He is a protégé of the esteemed Sugpiaq Master Artists Alvin Amason and Perry Eaton.