Preston Singletary, Octopus and Killer Whale, 2011, Serigraph on paper, 15 x 22 x 1 in, Limited edition serigraph, pencil signed and unframed.

When Preston Singletary first began working with glass in 1982, he did not yet realize how deeply he would connect with the material. It was only after he began incorporating Tlingit designs and stories-drawing from his lineage in the Eagle moiety, Kaagwaantaan Box House, Killer Whale clan-that his work took on greater purpose. This artistic shift allowed him to merge ancestral storytelling with a contemporary medium, giving voice to both cultural heritage and artistic vision.

Singletary comes from a long line of strong Tlingit women. His great-grandmother, Susie Johnson Bartlett Gubatayo, born in Sitka, Alaska in 1880, later moved to Seattle and helped establish the family's foundation there. His grandmother, Lillian Abada, raised his mother, Jean Abada, and his aunts, Andrina Abada and Theresa Sherman, largely on her own. Their strength and guidance shaped his identity and instilled a lasting connection to his heritage.

Over time, his mastery of glassblowing and Tlingit formline design has deepened, strengthening both his craft and his cultural understanding. This journey continues to inform his artistic voice and his contributions to contemporary Indigenous art.