Moon Mask Pendant
by Artie George, Coast Salish First Nation
red cedar, abalone, bone, wood beads, glass beads, grass, leather, pigment
30” long, pendant: 3.5 x 3.25 x 1.5 inches
Artie George, great nephew of Chief Dan George, is a Coast Salish woodcarver. Born in North Vancouver in 1970, he is from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (Burrard Band). Artie began carving at the age of 13 and is mainly self-taught. The relentless dedication that he brings to his art and the quiet grace which accompanies that dedication has awarded Artie respect from his peers as a carver of fine detail.
Artie participates in aboriginal events and major juried craft shows. His art can be found in collections around the world and also within establishments for the visual arts, such as the world famous Glenbow Museum in Calgary, the UBC museum of Anthropology and the Smithsonian Native American Museum in Washington D.C.
Noted recipients of his work include National Chief Phil Fontaine, Assembly of First Nations (Canada); George Erasmus, Co-Chair of the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples (Canada); Grand Chief Ed John, First Nations Summit (BC); Chief Leonard George, Burrard Band; and the Hon. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India.
Through his art, Artie George expresses visually what his great uncle embodied in the words and deeds of his life; the face of our own humanity, at one with nature and the great spirit within it.
