Beau Dick Kwakwaka’wakw, Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nation, 1955-2017
Dzunuk'wa Four-Way Transformation, c. 1995-2005
Red cedar, acrylic, horsehair
19 x 19 x 13 inches
48.3 x 48.3 x 33 cm
48.3 x 48.3 x 33 cm
Photo: Connor Creagan
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Further images
Dzunuk’wa is the Kwakwaka’wakw name for the region’s famous Wild Woman of the Woods. She is a giant hairy, bearded, black bodied, wide eyed being. Her echoing cry is “Huu...
Dzunuk’wa is the Kwakwaka’wakw name for the region’s famous Wild Woman of the Woods. She is a giant hairy, bearded, black bodied, wide eyed being. Her echoing cry is “Huu huu huu.” Of all the creatures of the forest that are represented as masks on the Northwest Coast, the wild-woman of the woods is one of the most renowned. She is also known as Copper-woman, and is symbolically associated with wealth. Many stories speak of children who help Tsonokwa and are rewarded with gifts of meat, furs, and copper. She also has the power to bring people back to life.
Exhibitions
15x15: Independent 2010-2024, Spring Studios, 50 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013, May 9 - 12, 2024Beau Dick: Insatiable Beings, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA, Oct 25, 2025 - Jan 18, 2026