Visions of a Makah

Visions of a Makah

Frank Peterson is a proud enrolled Makah tribal member and an urban native.  His family moved to Ballard where three generations of his family have been reared and he currently resides in Seattle.  He is most influenced by his Makah heritage handed down from his grandmother, Anne Peterson, and to a lessor degree, his Scandinavian roots.  Frank works in many mediums, but primarily in acrylic paints, oil pastels, and cedar, which he uses to carve his Spirit portrait masks.

Growing up, he and his siblings spent quality time over summers in Neah Bay on the Makah reservation.  His time was spent learning about his cultural heritage from his Aunt Helen, a respected tribal elder whom maintained the strong Makah ties with the after her sister Anne passed away.

He cherishes the time he spent there with his family by affirming the connections to his ancestors.  Frank's works are meant to find a balance in the abstract, adding all the spiritual aspects of his rich heritage mixed in with his life experiences.  It is the whole of these experiences that inspire and influence his unique artistic expression.  His "design oriented representational abstract" is rooted in the exploration of Northwest coastal native art and the works of the incredible artists that are Makah tribal members.