Artist Bio: Golga Oscar, a Yup’ik artist, was born and raised in Kasigluk, Alaska. Oscar is attending the Institute of American Indian Arts where he is pursuing a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Arts with his emphasis in photography where contemporary/traditional attire is a main subject. As a fluent Yup’ik speaker, Oscar is dedicated to keeping his culture and traditions alive and relevant by teaching the next generations about their language and art. A strong cultural identity is evident in his work. Through his knowledge of traditional art forms and sewing skills, he creates cultural attire that becomes a strong visual element in his photographic imagery. His images portray portraits of Indigenous people to show the world the importance of Native heritage and the validity of their existence.
Artist Statement: The photo I took is a self-portrait of my niece and I. I am a first-generation artist in my family. My art piece is a representation of passing down our ancestral techniques to the younger generation, in order for our tradition to keep thriving for the future generations. I created this piece so it can bring awareness to many Indigenous and non-Indigenous nations that we are resilient and taking back our ancestral teachings despite Western colonization.
