A series of three interrelated Visceral exhibitions explore contemporary and historical Alaska Native issues, spotlighting gut as a conduit for Indigenous voices.
Visceral: Verity is the solo exhibition of contemporary artist Sonya Kelliher-Combs. Her mixed-media installations combine combines natural and synthetic materials and evoke questions of authentic experience, truth, abuse, transparency, and credibility. Sonya is one of only a few artists working with marine mammal gut.
Visceral: Legacy is a further interpretation of Sonya’s solo exhibition themes through objects that she and fellow gut enthusiast and Alaska State Museum conservator Ellen Carrlee chose from the museum’s permanent collection. As a guest curator, Sonya brings the richness of her childhood in Nome, her international career as an artist, her life in Anchorage, and her insights as a person of Iñupiaq, Athabascan, and European heritage.
Visceral: Identity features a selection of gut parkas from across Alaska to highlight the technical and historical aspects of this remarkable material in cross-cultural perspective. Ellen and Sonya explore the latest (analytical and social science) research examining this medium and why gut remains a significant material for key relationships in Alaska.
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