Copper Hinkeets Mask Tlehpik Hjalmer WenstobTy-Histanis (Tofino), BC Size 15" x 6.5" x 14" Medium Copper, cedar bark, cedar, acrylic paint I am a Nuu-chah-nulth artist from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations. For Nuu-chah-nulth people, copper has had a cultural significance for millennia, as have our hinkeets-style masks. This artwork is a blending of the two histories with a contemporary take. Made in the style of a Nuu-chah-nulth hinkeets mask, the cut out copper allows you to see into the interior of the mask, unlike its ceremonial cedar inspiration. While deeply rooted in a traditional style, this artwork looks to transform and reimagine what sculpture, carving, and jewellery techniques can be to the contemporary art world. Copper Hinkeets Mask Tlehpik Hjalmer WenstobTy-Histanis (Tofino), BC About the artist About the artist Tlehpik Hjalmer WenstobTy-Histanis (Tofino), BC Tleḥpik Hjalmer Wenstob is an interdisciplinary artist who specializes in sculpture and carving. He is Nuu-chah-nulth from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, as well as Norwegian and English. His work incorporates and interweaves aspects of contemporary, traditional, and community-based practices. Hjalmer’s works often explore the relationships between cultures and art, and the balance between traditional and contemporary, while remaining firmly grounded in his Tla-o-qui-aht knowledge. He has an MFA from the University of Victoria, and currently lives in Ty-Histanis, a Tla-o-qui-aht community near Tofino, BC, with his family. Together, they run Cedar House Gallery in Ucluelet, BC.