Like Alaska, the Icelandic landscape is challenging and often unforgiving with an unpredictability that heightens your sense of vulnerability. During my six weeks in Iceland, I kept a list of similarities between Iceland and Alaska as I came across them: migratory birds, fish, alpine plants, aurora, long distances, isolation, self-reliance, and, of course, the weather. This list gave me a certain comfort I didn’t quite expect. The place was indeed raw and rare, with a special starkness only the far north knows and holds close. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or awe struck, rather, at ease. I also found similarities to what we are experiencing at home: shifting habitats, warming oceans, melting ice, new fish species to northern waters, way too many jellyfish, the list goes on. People talk about it because they have to pay close attention to the land around them in order to survive. A volcano could erupt, a glacial lake could burst, a rouge wave - or the wind - could sweep you away. Noticing these similarities had a profound impact on me, and heightened my appreciation for Alaska, making home all the more important to cherish, protect, and stand up for.

These pieces were created during, and inspired by, a month-long artist residency at Nes in Skagaströnd, Iceland, a small fishing and farming community of roughly 400 people, situated in the far north on an inlet that connects with the Greenland Sea.

ICELAND - Alaska Arts Confluence, Haines, AK - Opening April 6th