Lena Amason Berns

Medium: Carving, Painting, & Drawing

Lena with her Family

Lena draws upon imagery of sea life around Kodiak Island for much of her work, which she experienced first hand, commercial salmon fishing every summer with her step-father Fuzzy Nelson. In recent years she has carved dance masks for performances by the Nuniaq Dancers of Old Harbor.  She is currently working on three  masks for a show at Homer's Pratt Museum in August of 2010, as well as a series of paintings on panels for a show a the Alutiiq Museum in January of 2011.  Titled Ways to Sea, this show will also feature works by her mother Kathy Nelson and sister Anna Nelson.

Lena currently sells her work through the Alutiiq Museum Store, the Alaska Native  Arts Foundation Gallery, the Alaska Native Medical Center Gift Shop, and the Well Street Art Co., in Fairbanks, AK.  Her work is included in collections at the Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alutiiq Museum, University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks, Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, and the Château Musée of France.  Her work ws recently shown in "Changing Hands 2", an exhibition originating at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York (2005) that appeared at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center.  Lena now lives in Old Harbor with Travis Berns and daughters Saelah and Dahlia.