Rick Rack Study II, 2008
Lawrence "Ulaaq" Ahvakana, Inupiaq
fused glass panel
17.5 inches diameter
The inspiration for the rick rack study designs were the colorful and feminine rick rack designs Larry's mother used on her traditional Summer amauti's (tunics). Larry was greatly influenced by the traditional art forms of the Inupiaq people, and his first creations were hand sewn traditional clothing. This panel can be hung on the wall, or placed in a stand.
Lawrence "Ulaaq" Ahvakana has created art for over 30 years. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and Cooper Union School of Art. He is most famous for his Inuit or Inupiaq inspired works in wood, alabaster, marble, glass, and cast in bronze.
Established as an outstanding sculptor with a national reputation, his works are included in a large number of major museums, numerous corporate collections, and in national and international private collections.
"I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska and raised in Barrow and Anchorage. My first introduction to the Arts was watching my mother, a very competent skin sewer.
All my life, I was surrounded by my culture and my people, the Inupiaq of northern Alaska. The dances and songs of the Inupiaq tradition are our oral history — the emotional interpretation of our respect for and involvement with the environment of the North Slope of Alaska.
My work incorporates many media and materials and a sense of my cultural design. The interpretation is very personal. I hope the conceptual format gives viewers an idea of the Inupiaq tradition." - Lawrence "Ulaaq" Ahvakana
