Aandeishí - Alex Edwards
Alex Edwards, born in Anchorage, Alaska, is a Tlingit and Tsimshian artist of the Kaagwaantaan clan. His work spans across multiple mediums including silversmithing, metal engraving, printmaking, and formline design. Much of Alex’s artwork expands upon traditional methods of fabrication and design, often blending concepts and ideas from several traditional mediums and practices. He began studying Northwest Coast art and design under his grandfather, Pete Esquiro, an accomplished Silversmith, engraver, and lapidary working out of Sitka, Alaska. While his skills have progressed as a jewelry fabricator, his work has expanded to new horizons including digital medias and printmaking while studying under artist and Trickster Co. co-founder Rico Worl. Alex’s work is celebrated across numerous communities in Southeast Alaska including solo exhibitions in Juneau, gallery work in Sitka, and commission work for tribal members and tribal corporations across the state. Alex is eager and excited to be a part of the new generation of young indigenous artists carrying forth the artistic traditions cultivated by our families, relatives, and ancestors for thousands of years. As Alex’s artistic career progresses, he hopes to expand the techniques and potential mediums our visual languages take shape.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work acts as an exploration of my identity as a young Indigenous person, and as an extension to the work of those who came before me. In my practice I draw from the extremely rich foundation that generations past have laid down, and hope to leave my mark and impact as an active practitioner and speaker of these visual languages. My roots begin in my Grandfather’s workshop in Sitka, Alaska, who learned metalsmithing techniques by himself during a time when NWC art was deeply endangered. It was my Grandfather’s thoughtful and humble guidance that instilled my sense of honesty and integrity in my own work. I hold it as my responsibility to learn, appreciate, and practice the techniques which have been cared for by my ancestors for thousands of years.
My practice has allowed me to connect with my culture and community in new and meaningful ways. While my artwork and career is only in its infancy, I hold these values close to me as I set forth on this journey.
