Sea Otter Transformational Pin/Pendant, 1990
by Denise Wallace, Chugash Aleut
sterling silver, fossil walrus ivory, scrimshaw design
edition #48 / 200
1 1/2" high x 2 1/2" long x 3/8" deep
Chugach Aleut artist Denise Wallace began her artistic journey as a student at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the late 70s. After graduating, she and her husband Samuel remained in Santa Fe creating and selling work from their studio and gallery. In 1999, the Wallaces moved to Hawaii where Denise continues to create jewelry today.
Wallace credits Native American artists such as Allan Houser, John Hoover, Charles Loloma, and Roxanne Swentzell as being influential to her work. Her pieces remain firmly planted in the rich stories and customs of the Native people of arctic Alaska, stories that deal with themes of healing, growth, nature and transformation. “The transformation aspect is what inspired the doors and hinges on my work, Wallace says.
In addition to complex mechanical components like the tiny, working lockets that open to reveal hidden subject matter, Wallace utilizes materials like silver, gold, semiprecious stones and scrimshawed, fossilized ivory to join old traditions and stories with her newly envisioned interpretations.
“I hope to create pieces that speak to people… pieces that have a life of their own and become part of the world. I have always wanted the pieces to tell a story about our land, our people, or a small song or story about the world we live in.” - Denise Wallace
Wallace's work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and documentaries including Arctic Transformations: The Jewelry of Denise and Samuel Wallace organized by the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Craft in America 3: a PBS series, and Works by Nineteenth Century and Contemporary Native American Artists, organized by the Peabody Essex Museum.
As well, her jewelry is in permanent Museum collections including the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Institute of American Indian Arts, NM, Australian Museum, NSW, Eiteljorg Museum, IN, Museum of Arts and Design, NY, National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian, and the Denver Art Museum, CO.
Watch the PBS Crafts in America episode to learn more about Denise Wallace, her process, and see her wearing her personal edition of the Sea Otter Transformation Pin / Pendant!
