Sonya Kelliher-Combs (Iñupiaq, Athabascan) is inspired by the relationship of her ancestors to their environment: how they used skin, fur and membrane in material culture. The subjects of her work are patterns of history, family and culture. Through her use of synthetic, organic, historical and modern materials and techniques, Sonya builds upon the traditions of her people.
Personal and cultural symbolism forms the imagery. Symbols speak to history, culture, family and the life of her people; they also speak about abuse, marginalization and the struggles of
Indigenous people.

Interwoven: Inuit, Greenland, United States is from my series Interwoven, utilizing flags and natural materials found in both countries and across the arctic, it is a commentary on the resilience of the Inuit Nation despite hundreds of years of colonization and all the ills that come alongside it.