About B

Atiģa Bernice Leilani Luki Aviugaurak Pamiilaq Oyagak. Aŋayuqaaģkak Keokilu Emma Oyagak-Huntsmanlu. I am Iñupiaq, rooted in the land and sea of Utqiaġvik. I currently reside on the traditional lands of the Dena’ina people in Anchorage, Alaska

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​My pieces capture moments from our world in the Arctic — stories of family, work, and culture layered together with texture, memory, and pride. I’m not afraid to make anything out of anything—antlers, fur, baleen, driftwood, bones, materials you provide or even a simple acrylic painting on a custom canvas of any size. Materials hold memory, and I transform them into living reminders. My art is not decoration. It is meant to move you, to sit with you, to remind you of what you need each day. Sometimes it’s courage. Sometimes it’s healing or laughter. Sometimes it’s just the strength to keep going.

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My family is at the heart of everything. With my wife and our twin boys beside me, I carry forward what has been passed down through our culture—resilience, humor, and love. I balance my time between family, work, and school as I continue my PhD in Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Like my art, my research is rooted in community and guided by our ways of knowing.

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So quyanaq (thank you) for being here, for supporting Indigenous art, and for walking with me through these sacred layers.

 

Sacred layers, arigaaha!

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— Bernice Aviuk Oyagak