Collection

Alder wood, Acrylic paint

“This mask is based on the small and elegant piece housed at the Denver Institute of Art, it is currently labeled as Haida although the more I’ve examined the piece the more it is in the very distinct Nuxalk style.

At Nuxalk, in the beginning of time, Alhkw’ntam sent to earth the “First Ancestors”, but before that he presented them with cloaks of Nan (Grizzly bear), Nutsakwaax (Wolf), Kints (Humpback whale) and many more. One of those first ancestors decided to descend to earth as Nan and was sent to a place called Talyu pronounced like Talyo and sometimes now represented by the family who still carries the surname Tallio.

Today we’re challenged with a removal from these belongings and therefore a beautiful mask in the dark for many years also means [that] sometimes we don’t know what their creators intended. One thing is sure, they told Nuxalkmc of the completeness of their culture, the continuing lineages of the great families, their closeness to the mystic in the universe.

Currently, I’m focused on sculpture in both the Nuxalk and Haiłzaqv styles, and for the Bella Coola people I often hear about the work being characterized as blue or painted-blue. As a constant student of the old examples of Nuxalk work, I feel like there are so many other ways to identify the style – and so one of my challenges is to work within the traditions and be lead by the examples of our ancestral representations and push its principles. The original example that I’ve used to create this piece is a great example of a combination of realism and showing stylistic qualities, the portions needed to stout and the recesses that separate the facial futures needed to be deep but still relatable to a paw.  – Kyle Tallio 2024