Peter Lind, Sr.

Medium: Bentwood Visors, Carving in Wood, Ivory and Soapstone 

Born in a sod house in Chignik, Alaska in 1930, Artist Peter Lind began carving when he was just 7 years old.  With an old pocket knife he fashioned a small boat.  Thus began a life long interest in carving inspired by his Aleut / Alutiiq heritage.  Today Peter lives in Homer, Alaska with his wife, artist Darlene Lind.

Peter Lind

Peter Lind specialized in producing bentwood hunting hats.  He enjoys his own proud identity in researching and crafting his art in the Aleut / Alutiiq tradition.  The traditional styled Aleut / Alutiiq bentwood visor with its painted geometric designs and decoration of ivory, feathers, and Russian trade beads, honors the spirits and transformed the wearer into a mighty hunter capeable of braving the ocean and its dangers.  It also hid his human identify from his prey.  More visibly, it protected his eyes from glare and sea spray and even improved his hearing.

Peter remembers his early years walking the tundra with his mother as she collected the materials for making dyes.  Some of the stains used in his traditional artwork come from natural dyes made from berries collected on the tundra.  An iron-bearing clay known as ocher created the yellow-brown stain.