Product Description
Abenaki artists Gerard Tsonakwa and his wife Yolaikia Wapitaska, working in stone, bone and wood, bring the ancient legends of the Abenaki people into the industrial age through juxtaposition of the stories with their masks and sculptures. This volume, illustrated with many of the works that have toured more than thirty museums since 1992, evokes ancient connections embodied in the legends and lore of traditional peoples.
About the Author
Gerard Tsonakwa and Yolaikia Wapitaska, husband and wife, are from the Quebex/ Northeastern United States area. With modern as well as ancient techniques, they carve works of art which have beauty, originality, and great energy. Tsonakwa works with stone, wood, and other natural materials. He is also a master storyteller. For many years he has told the ancient legends of the Abenaki and other tribes to fascinated audiences across North America and Europe. Yolaikia sculpts primarily fro deer antler, in keeping with the traditional Abenaki connection between the deer and the female aspect of life. Her small, intricate renderings reveal a cosmology of subtle and mysterious transformations.
