Large Vertebrae Dancer with Spirit Shaman Transformation
by Edwin Weyiouanna, Inupiaq
whalebone vertebrae, fossil ivory labret, bone and baleen inlays
13” high x 31” wide x 8” deep
Edwin Weyiouanna is an Inupiaq artist from Shishmaref, Alaska.
“I learned to carve from my dad and in school. The carver Melvin Olanna also encouraged me to carve. I started making my artwork when I was 11 years old. As I grew up, I started creating work from my own ideas. I graduated college from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. I started making my artwork as a past time and now it is my livelihood. I make use of all of the whale bone and other traditional items.” - Edwin Weyiouanna
