Title: The Hands of a Master

Artist: Hayden Haynes

Tribal Affiliation: Seneca Nation of Indians, Kiowa, Muskoke

Year Completed: 2022

Medium: Moose Antler

Dimensions (HxWxD): 2"x1"x.75"

Description/Inspiration:

Inspired by watching master potter and friend Peter B. Jones demonstrate traditional pottery. I took some photos of him demonstrating at a festival and decided to create a piece that captured how hands work and create pottery. These antler rings are what i consider special occasion pieces. Although they can be worn everyday, it is recommended that they only be worn occasionally. This will help maintain the color of the piece. It is also recommended that the piece be stored in a box when not in use to avoid long exposure to light and sunlight.

Artist Bio/Statement:

I am a self-taught antler carver and a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians. I began carving in my mid-20's. I was inspired to begin carving after seeing some works by Stan Hill Sr., Wayne Skye and Norman Jimerson, but I developed my own unique style. Early on I realized that antler and bone carving was an art form that did not receive the same amount of acknowledgment as other traditional art forms. In fact, many to this day, still do not recognize the relevance of antler and bone carving within our culture, and therefore the material and art form are in many ways oppressed. So I set forth to not only hone my skills as an artist, but also to to bring to light, the importance of this often overlooked art. I have had no formal education in either arts or arts education. However, I spent/ spend a considerable amount of time researching techniques and tools my people used to work bone/antler. In 2016, I was invited to have my first solo show at the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum. All the while learning as much as I could about how the material relates to our culture. Collaboration is a focus of my work. In 2021, I teamed up with fellow Seneca, Jocelyn Jones who is a culture bearer and model. I photographed her in several locations related to the Thomas Indian School (TIS), which was a Native American residential boarding school that operated on our Cattaraugus Territory. The photos were eventually expanded into a full scale exhibit installation with other 2-d, & 3-d works by other artists. It is currently on loan to the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum. This is one example, however my collaborations take many forms. Most often I use what I do and any platform and opportunity I have to help uplift the voices of women and women artists. My life's work is also to help restore in small ways, the role of women in our culture and society. I believe my current work (carving, knowledge sharing, education/lectures, curatorial, collaborations) is really coming into a good place. I feel like all of my efforts in the revitalization of antler carving are making a difference. Even though the numbers of carvers (or those revitalizing utilitarian bone usage) I work with or talk with are small, they are more. And the opportunities to talk to institutions about the material and art form from a cultural perspective is increasing. My future work will be a continued exploration of material innovations, and as it is now, confrontation with social topics, uplifting our women, and using my work to help revitalize antler carving.

Please note:

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