Sonya Kelliher-Combs (Iñupiaq/Athabascan), b. 1969 in Bethel, Alaska, raised in Nome, Alaska, works through visual art, community engagement, curation and advocacy to create space for Indigenous voices and highlight contemporary artists whose work informs and encourages social action. Her personalised, mixed media visual art focuses on the changing North and our relationship with nature and each other.
Women's traditional labour has taught her to value the intimate knowledge passed down between generations and the material stories that live in the materials. These experiences and skills have allowed Kelliher-Combs to explore the intersection of Western and Indigenous cultures and to explore notions of interwoven identity through her work.
Personal and cultural symbolism forms the imagery. These symbols speak to history, culture, family and the life of her people. They also speak about abuse, marginalization and the historical and contemporary struggles of Indigenous peoples.
Kelliher-Combs currently lives and works in Anchorage, Alaska.
Credible, Small Secrets
Cotton fabric, human hair, nylon thread, glass bead, steel pin, 2021
Swedish Swedish 
English
