GOLGA, 2021

Golga Oscar, Yup’ik artist, is a celebrated young, two-spirit regalia maker from Kasigluk, Alaska. A purveyor of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)--Golga explores his creativity and indigeneity-- spending time self-teaching forgotten techniques blending traditional and contemporary arts. The results are otherworldly. I wanted to take a portrait that captures his grace and vision. Both of us far away from home (during a pandemic), we created a shared imaginary space together in the Coe Foundation’s vacant warehouse, using machine snow and fog. Golga is wearing his handmade, fine art regalia and a borrowed pair of antique snow goggles from the Coe’s collection. Golga played traditional Yup’ik music for us on set and lifted my spirits at a time I was struggling. Through art and friendship, we can battle depression and loneliness, during Covid. Keep creating.

Collections: Anchorage Museum, Denver Art Museum, Detroit Institute of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Nordamerika Native Museum/Switzerland.

Awarded 2nd Place in Photography, Heard Museum