The symbols and images shown within this mask are a reflection of my own discombobulated ancestry and the legacy I hope to leave behind for my ancestors still to come. This entire mask is meant to be read as a set of instructions for how to make tea and celebrate the summer solstice how I like to - surrounded by my community and lots of tea.
Because the strong cultural tie with my ancient ancestry has been lost to time, I have been creating many different works of art that borrow elements from all of the various Northern European countries which are within my family’s story and then combined to create something new.
This work, and others I create like it, are explorations that depict what my ancient ancestors would have created if they had co-evolved with this landscape instead of the various Northern European nations they left behind to seek a better life in the United States. It is embracing the fact that my ancestors left their homeland and failed to pass down the traditions that helped create their cultures.
Instead of choosing to forego having any cultural ties with my ancestry, I am choosing to reeducate myself on their lost knowledge, art and traditions to create something new that reflects my own admiration for the land and its people. The process of reimagining these traditions from the perspective of the land which I call home has allowed me to feel more acceptance and belonging in both the human and natural communities I am a part of. By working in mediums and traditions that are the building blocks of culture, I hope to create a place for everyone else who does not feel like they have an ancestry that they can belong to.
Tea and masks are two of humanity’s most ancient and celebrated forms of culture, and my masks and tea ceremonies are unique to me and my human experience. Yes, they borrow from elements of various cultures from across the globe, but almost every culture around the world has their own version of these two traditions, and if we are to create something new that lasts the test of time, we too must have traditions that are rooted in the very building blocks of human culture instead of those that are solely rooted in things that are temporary.
So anyways, I decided to design a mask that celebrates what having tea on the summer solstice means to me! Throughout this design there are many different symbols, species and depictions - the next time we have a conversation, let me know what this mask means to you, because I will be very fascinated to hear all about it.
Production Details:
- Signed Limited Edition of 50
- 10×10”
- Printed on 100lb French Speckletone Paper
- Printed by Brownlee Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan
The symbols and images shown within this mask are a reflection of my own discombobulated ancestry and the legacy I hope to leave behind for my ancestors still to come. This entire mask is meant to be read as a set of instructions for how to make tea and celebrate the summer solstice how I like to - surrounded by my community and lots of tea.
Because the strong cultural tie with my ancient ancestry has been lost to time, I have been creating many different works of art that borrow elements from all of the various Northern European countries which are within my family’s story and then combined to create something new.
This work, and others I create like it, are explorations that depict what my ancient ancestors would have created if they had co-evolved with this landscape instead of the various Northern European nations they left behind to seek a better life in the United States. It is embracing the fact that my ancestors left their homeland and failed to pass down the traditions that helped create their cultures.
Instead of choosing to forego having any cultural ties with my ancestry, I am choosing to reeducate myself on their lost knowledge, art and traditions to create something new that reflects my own admiration for the land and its people. The process of reimagining these traditions from the perspective of the land which I call home has allowed me to feel more acceptance and belonging in both the human and natural communities I am a part of. By working in mediums and traditions that are the building blocks of culture, I hope to create a place for everyone else who does not feel like they have an ancestry that they can belong to.
Tea and masks are two of humanity’s most ancient and celebrated forms of culture, and my masks and tea ceremonies are unique to me and my human experience. Yes, they borrow from elements of various cultures from across the globe, but almost every culture around the world has their own version of these two traditions, and if we are to create something new that lasts the test of time, we too must have traditions that are rooted in the very building blocks of human culture instead of those that are solely rooted in things that are temporary.
So anyways, I decided to design a mask that celebrates what having tea on the summer solstice means to me! Throughout this design there are many different symbols, species and depictions - the next time we have a conversation, let me know what this mask means to you, because I will be very fascinated to hear all about it.
Production Details:
- Signed Limited Edition of 50
- 10×10”
- Printed on 100lb French Speckletone Paper
- Printed by Brownlee Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan
