Alaska Insight
Mask carver Drew Michael discusses healing and growth from his art
Clip: Season 8 Episode 13 | 3mVideo has Closed Captions
Alaska Public Media takes a look at Drew Michael's Carving process and his path to self discovery
For almost 30 years Drew Michael has been working as a contemporary artist and designer, carving Yup’ik-style masks with his own personal spin on cross- cultural influences. Alaska Public Media’s Matt Faubion and Ammon Swenson take a closer look at his process and his path to self discovery.
Alaska Insight
Mask carver Drew Michael discusses healing and growth from his art
Clip: Season 8 Episode 13 | 3mVideo has Closed Captions
For almost 30 years Drew Michael has been working as a contemporary artist and designer, carving Yup’ik-style masks with his own personal spin on cross- cultural influences. Alaska Public Media’s Matt Faubion and Ammon Swenson take a closer look at his process and his path to self discovery.
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipOn a cold afternoon in East Anchorage, Drew Michael is in a shop next to his house, hard at work on his next project.
Watch out!
Wear your safety glasses!
These moments spent with wood, chisels and paint, are what Michael likes to call time to pray.
A lot of times I draw out a design and kind of meditate on who are you, And then when I'm working, I kind of think about that through the whole process, especially if I'm making like a memorial mask or something where it's, representing a community or a specific idea.
Michael creates that representation in Yup'ik style masks.
See?
There's that grain.
Drawing from his Yup'ik and Inupiaq heritage, Michael carves stories into his art pieces, hoping to take viewers on a journey of transformation some of my imagery that you'll see, I like to think about healing because masks were used to tell a story and transformation And so I'm trying to tell stories about finding, finding or connecting to the higher self and the creator.
And the spirits around.
Coming along getting into the mask making was kind of like another step into my own understanding of who I was, kind of looking through the eyes of the mask into who I am as a Yup'ik an Inupiaq person, Michael was born in Bethel and raised in Eagle River.
Growing up, Michael said that he never felt connected to this ancestry.
I've been always asking that question, Who am I?
especially like I'm Yup'ik and Inupiaq and Polish, I remember growing up in Eagle River and not seeing very many people of color even Native People.
And I felt it wasn't my place or something.
I didn't know how I fit into that.
Michael's mother noticed that he was developing a passion for drawing and painting.
I think my mother saw a need in me to connect with my culture.
And so she encouraged me to take a class at the university At age 13, while under mentorship of legendary Inupiaq artist Joe Senungetuk, Michael began to carve his own path That path has led to his work being featured all over Alaska and all over the world in places like Seattle, Portland and France.
these are all going to be here long after I'm gone.
But that story will be there.
It's like part of my legacy is to tell what's happening in this world through masks to lift up our way, our way of life.
What do you think?
He.
Now, as an established artist, Michael wants to give back to his community.
Teaming up with the Anchorage Museum to create The Drew Michael Artist Fellowship Fund, So far, they've raised $100,000 and planned to begin next year.
in Anchorage, with help from Ammon Swenson.
I'm Matt Faubion.
