This work is an exploration of belonging, identity and secrecy. The oblong forms, made of gut and rawhide, dangle from strings, casting shadows as they sway. This work is from a series begun in 2005 titled “Idiot Strings,” in which Sonya Kelliher-Combs speaks to the painful loss of Alaskan Native community members to suicide. While the pouch-like shapes can represent the unhealthy “secrets” we all keep, they were also inspired by the artist’s interest in her ancestors’ connection to their environment – much of her work examines new ways of using materials like skin, fun and membranes in contemporary installations.

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From the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery website:

“Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures. ‘Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists’ explores the artistic achievements of Native women and establishes their rightful place in the art world.”

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

Shoveler giving us the eye, posted earlier: