SELK''NAM

Magic was waiting for me in Patagonia. During a trip to Tierra del Fuego [Land of Fire] in 2005, I was moved by the ancient Selk''nam people. This incredible indigenous society is among the original tribes from the tip of South America, spanning modern day Argentina and Chile. Living in this territory for over 10,000 years, they suffered a brutal genocide with the arrival of Europeans around the second half of the 19th century. Fortunately, Selk''nam descendants have held strong to their ancestral beliefs and language to this day. I have been so privileged to learn from the Selk''nam people. My ongoing connection with this ethnic culture has influenced my artwork and me to live a greener life: beginning with a primal aesthetic, creating my own iconography, and to re-use the natural resources I am surrounded by. The body of work in this catalog invites us to tap into the boundless power of nature. In its essence, my art promotes cultural diversity, respect for all races and spiritual beliefs. ? Elisa Pritzker