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 is an international Inupiat and Deg Hit’an carver and sculptor based in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2020 he attained his BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts and recently attained his MFA from Alfred University. Brian II collaborates materiality and Ancestral Spirituality as a way to deconstruct, explore, and expand traditional belief systems that have been persecuted from colonial oppression/religion. Brian's ongoing work is focused on Ancestral Shamanism and how these traditional practices expand into contemporary Indigenous narratives and experiences. He is currently a Term Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Alaska Anchorage teaching Alaska Native Art.