Joining us for the first time this June is Troy Kwakseesthala (aka Troy Roberts), whose style is ornate and detailed, with riotous color. Troy hails from the north end of Vancouver Island, and is descended from chiefs of the Weiwakum First Nation.
His work makes liberal use of inlaid copper and abalone, giving all of his sculpture a strong sense of richness, akin to a discovered treasure. There is a strong sense of drama in all of his work we have seen, and this is echoed in his love for transformation masks and other types of masks that are danced in ceremony. In his bio, he writes:
“Troy’s favorite carved pieces are the transformation figures which bring two images together in one mask. Each piece is operated by strings within the masks; the beaks clap loudly during the dance ceremony to punctuate the powerful performance.”
We are honored to show Troy’s bold Thunderbird mask in our June 2017 exhibition, “Masters of Disguise III: A Group Mask Exhibition”, accompanied by his Hummingbird Paddle (left).