Drum with Frog Crest Design
by Ken Mowatt, Gitksan First Nation
deer hide, wood, feathers, leather, pigment
16.5” high (28” with feathers) x 16.5” wide x 2.5” deep
Gitksan First Nation artist Ken Mowatt was born in Hazelton, British Columbia in 1944. Ken’s crest is Frog. He works in diverse art forms including limited edition prints, original paintings in oils, drums, jewelry, cedar poles, masks, rattles, and sculptures. He is a master carver who began his career at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Design in 1970, where he also later taught.
Ken studied jewelry making with Jack Leyland in 1975, and watercolor painting with Ron Burleigh in 1978. In 2004, Ken was asked to illustrate the children’s book Returning the Feathers, which is based on five famous Gitksan legends. He also provided the design for the Weget Legends publication. Ken has years of formal training in traditional Gitksan art, but he is known as one of the most creative and experimental First Nations artists working today. Many of his works contain surreal and abstract elements, and his impressive attention to detail is incredibly distinctive.
