Transformation Maskotsume
The indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast have strong artistic and ceremonial traditions. The images depicted in their art include those from both the natural and spiritual world. Native peoples had no written language; masks, totems, and oral traditions transmitted cultural information to future generations. Through apprenticeships, artistic styles and techniques were handed down from one generation to the next.
This Maskostume is inspired by what is known as a Transformation Mask. This style of mask depicts the ability of physical and spiritual change. Change can either be dramatic, from one form to another, or minute, such as the transformations each individual endures every day. The indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast live closely to the land and saw change in all that surrounded them, from aging, seasons, to relationships. The Transformation Maskostume reflects the change the materials go through to become the Maskostumes and the personal transformations participants experience in collaborative and creative endeavors.