James Johnson - Tlingit Artist and Carver
James Johnson - Tlingit Artist and Carver
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James Johnson - Tlingit Artist and Carver

James Johnson •
James Johnson

I am Tlingit Indian from southeast Alaska, I belong to the Dakl’aweidi clan (killerwhale clan), and I am a Tlingit artist and carver.  There is no word for “art” in our language, the pieces you see are a visual language that tells the stories and history of the Tlingit people going back 10,000 years.  You dedicate your whole life to this art, carrying forward our culture and traditions.  To be able to do this is such a gift.  I’m going to make the absolute most out of this during my life, create as many pieces as possible. 

I’ve been doing this art form for 17 years now.  When I first started, it was hard to imagine my work being shown in museums. But, I believe things will happen for you when the time is right.  You have to be patient, and trust the process.   Currently, I have 5 exhibitions going this summer all over the country.  It’s not by accident, you have to trust your ability and have the courage to say yes when opportunities present themselves to you.  My dad taught me not to get attached to my work early on, he said when you finish a piece, let go of it. It’ll go where it needs to go.  This is from our traditional knowledge, for example when the carvers finished a totem pole, they could no longer touch it, it no longer belonged to them. It belonged to the people.  But, my dad said your skill is most important. That will always improve, be able to pick up any piece of wood and create something from it. 

I’ve been doing this art form for 17 years now.  When I first started, it was hard to imagine my work being shown in museums. But, I believe things will happen for you when the time is right.  You have to be patient, and trust the process.   Currently, I have 5 exhibitions going this summer all over the country.  It’s not by accident, you have to trust your ability and have the courage to say yes when opportunities present themselves to you.  My dad taught me not to get attached to my work early on, he said when you finish a piece, let go of it. It’ll go where it needs to go.  This is from our traditional knowledge, for example when the carvers finished a totem pole, they could no longer touch it, it no longer belonged to them. It belonged to the people.  But, my dad said your skill is most important. That will always improve, be able to pick up any piece of wood and create something from it. 

Lib-Tech Double Dip (22/23) Art Institute of Chicago / Art of the America’s Sculpture Court / photo courtesy of AIC

I like to keep my head down and work to better myself everyday. You find moments during the process you’re proud of.  Whether it’s the curve of the cheek on a mask, an exact cut on a bentwood box, or the balance of a design you just drew, those moments contain magic. My ancestors set an extremely high standard for what we as artists do today.  Every artist will tell you we are not there yet. We have every tool imaginable to create the art these days, but the reason why their art is so much better than ours is because they had incredible knowledge we don’t have today. This generational knowledge was severed during colonization of the Tlingit people in Alaska. So much was lost. As an artist today, you have a much larger responsibility on your shoulders that just creating something beautiful, you carry this tradition, this culture, our history along with it. I welcome this weight, this is my purpose in life. 

Tlingit Sea Lion War Helmet / Red cedar, seal whiskers / Museum of Art, Fort Collins, CO