Lalla Williams

“Skin sewer Lalla Williams is the daughter of Lucille Antowok-Davis of the Kodiak Island village of Karluk. At age 43 she attended the Institute of American Indian Art – studying museum practices and creative arts.  Lalla’s artwork is inspired by her heritage and more than 20 years of researching Alutiiq traditions.  According to Lalla, “I have been blessed with the overwhelming urge to create art. Since I was young I was always experimenting with sewing, dyeing and making something out of cloth. When I discovered my Native roots in the ‘80’s, the choices of materials and objects increased phenomenally. My yearning to create art now had a new passion. I could celebrate the story of my people and the culture of my ancestors.”

Lalla writes, “My Nativeness is a strong motivation for the creation of my body of work. My art is an expression of my soul. It allows me to grow as a person by connecting me to my past and guiding my future. My art also teaches other people about the strength and creativity of the indigenous people of Kodiak. We were not all wiped out by the Russians, but we were quiet about our history for several generations. The unearthing of our artifacts revealed the ingenuity and capacity of our ancestors to create beautiful garments, masks, and tools. This new knowledge is a source of great joy to current generations of Kodiak people. Through my art, I get to share in being a messenger of the new knowledge to others, like what the anthropologists’ books taught me.”

“So, I make art because I love it. For many years I worked some kind of a day job and squeezed art in at night. However, since I started creating art as my day job, I am much happier. I have moved from making traditional art, as reflected in the dolls, bent wood visors, regalia and head dresses to more contemporary works, including the seal intestine windows, which was the original material used for windows on Kodiak.”

Biography sourced from https://alutiiqmuseum.org/alutiiq-people/art/artist-gallery/lalla-williams/