Known by the Tsimshian word ‘Gadaxanis’, Intruder masks were part of a humorous social dance originally performed by Tlingit communities when depicting their Athapaskan neighbours. The dance and its associated mask eventually found their way into the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw winter ceremony.

Emerging from diffuse cultural interactions, Intruder masks highlight the complex networks of mimicry and exchange that persist throughout Pacific Northwest regions today. This mask was part of Fazakas Gallery’s booth at the Independent Art Fair in New York (March 5 - 8, 2020), where it became a different kind of intrusion, one that marks the often-missing voices of Indigenous artists from critical contemporary art spaces.