Beau Dick Kwakwaka'wakw, 1955-2017
Crooked Beak, 2015
Red cedar, cedar bark, acrylic
12 x 8 x 34 inches
30.5 x 20.3 x 86.4 cm
30.5 x 20.3 x 86.4 cm
The most elaborate and respected of the Kwakwaka’wakw Winter Dance ceremonies is the Hamatsa Society. The creatures of the Hamatsa Society are mythological cannibal birds, animals and beings, who live...
The most elaborate and respected of the Kwakwaka’wakw Winter Dance ceremonies is the Hamatsa Society. The creatures of the Hamatsa Society are mythological cannibal birds, animals and beings, who live in great houses in the sky. They are under the control of Bakbakwalanooksiwae, a powerful man-eating spirit. Crooked Beak, Supernatural Raven, and Hok Hok are part of the Hamat’sa, a complex and layered expression of consumption, symbolic of the struggle between base urges and socialization.
Exhibitions
Documenta 14: Learning from Athens, Kassel DE and Athens GR (2017)Devoured by Consumerism, White Columns, NY; Remai Modern, Saskatoon, SK (2019)
Beau Dick & Christophe Brunnquell, Consortium, Académie Conti, Vosne Romanée, France (2021)
