Installation view: Pa̱sa'p, Norberg Hall, Calgary, AB, Jan 26 - Mar 2, 2024. Courtesy Norberg Hall.
Corey Larocque Cree/Haida/Gitksan, b. July 5, 1982
Guardian II, 2023
Red cedar and acrylic
22 x 21 1/2 x 8 inches
55.9 x 54.6 x 20.3 cm
55.9 x 54.6 x 20.3 cm
Further images
Artist statement: The Guardians are very special masks to me. They represent a culmination of two things: the first is the foundation and backbone of west coast carving, centred around...
Artist statement:
The Guardians are very special masks to me. They represent a culmination of two things: the first is the foundation and backbone of west coast carving, centred around the potlatch, for which masks are created in secret and brought out to capture the mind and the story of the viewer; the second is the use of only one colour instead of multiple. This colour is oxidized blue reminiscent of the ocean. All of the mysteries that behold the Northwest Coast are steeped in the storytelling ritual that is connected with the ocean, which is where these two beautiful Guardians come from. The Guardians are my own characters that I developed over the course of 10 years. One is male and the other is female, also representing the power of creation.
The Guardians are very special masks to me. They represent a culmination of two things: the first is the foundation and backbone of west coast carving, centred around the potlatch, for which masks are created in secret and brought out to capture the mind and the story of the viewer; the second is the use of only one colour instead of multiple. This colour is oxidized blue reminiscent of the ocean. All of the mysteries that behold the Northwest Coast are steeped in the storytelling ritual that is connected with the ocean, which is where these two beautiful Guardians come from. The Guardians are my own characters that I developed over the course of 10 years. One is male and the other is female, also representing the power of creation.