“The Tlingit art form chose me,” says artist James Johnson. “I’m fortunate my ancestors placed this gift into my hands to carry through my lifetime.”
He remembers the powerful moment when a Tlingit elder observed him carving.
Killerwhale Clan Hat, 2020, Red Cedar
“She said, ‘Your ancestors are smiling down on you,’” Johnson recounts. “That cut me to the core of my being; it makes me emotional every time I think of what she said…Every day I work to better myself at this. I work to learn more about our culture and carry it forward. As a Tlingit artist, you have such a larger responsibility on your shoulders than just trying to create something that is ‘beautiful.’ You’re carrying forward a tradition, a culture that went through colonization, where everything that could have been done, was done to destroy it. It’s bigger than art, it’s bigger than me, I’m just a piece of this puzzle we as Indigenous people are working to put back together again.”
Eagle Bowl, Yellow Cedar, Abalone
Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Johnson is an award-winning Tlingit artist and carver now residing in Phoenix. Inspired by strong ancestral ties—he belongs to the Dakl’aweidi (Killerwhale) Clan and his lineage is from the Xutsnoowú Kwáan (Angoon, Alaska)—Johnson has dedicated himself to honoring his family and culture by practicing and preserving the Tlingit art form—in both traditional and surprising ways.
The Tlingit art form spans back thousands of years and serves as a visual language of the tribe’s history and culture. It is built on a foundation of drawing and “form-lines” that is then applied to a process of recess carving. Nature and mythology-based imagery are recurring themes, and red and blue hues separated by bold black lines often show up in the motif. “Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you develop your own style within the art form,” Johnson says. “It’s your signature without signing the piece. The Tlingit art from is alive, it’s powerful [and] the pieces you create are containers of knowledge.”
Eagle and Bear Bentwood Chest, Red Cedar
Johnson's heart is most invested in creating traditional, timeless Tlingit pieces like those of his ancestors, but he has also applied his signature design style to symbiotic partnerships with brands that include Vans, Volcom, Lib-Tech Snowboards, N-Grained Inc. and Smartwool. Not only have these companies given back to his Tlingit tribe, but, as a lifelong snowboarder, they also fit his lifestyle.
“When opportunities present themselves to you, you have to have the courage to take it. Working with and having the support of these brands is amazing. I’m really thankful as an artist to be in the position I am.”
James Johnson’s collaboration with the VANS shoe and streetwear company.
Johnson's goal is to take Tlingit art to places it hasn’t gone before and he has already made great strides. It’s one of the reasons he left Alaska and moved to Phoenix, 15 years ago. In an area rich with appreciation for the Native American art of the Southwest, he saw the potential for the Tlingit art form to carve out a niche of its own.
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