Andrew Abyo

Medium: Carving

Born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in the Bristol Bay village of Pilot Point, Andrew Abyo is an Alutiiq carver who seeks to learn and pass on his cultural traditions. He wants his three children and other people to have a greater understanding of the Alutiiq culture and its rich history.

“My goal is to bring out different things that you normally don’t get to see, other than in a museum.

Andrew is known for doing historical research, which helps him to add authentic details to each of his works. Andrew specializes in making Alutiiq bentwood visors, atlatls, harpoons, full size paddles, traditional games and baidarka carvings. He has apprenticed with Alutiiq bentwood carver Peter Lind to learn the art of visor making, and studied Alutiiq mask with carver Perry Eaton. Andrew’s work has been recognized as museum quality, and examples of his carvings can be found in the collections of Chenega Corp., the Tatitlek Corp., the Aleut Corp., the Bristol Bay Native Corp., the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Assn., Koniag, Inc., the Chugach Alaska Corp., the Tanadgusik Corp, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Valdez Museum, the Travel 100 Group, the Alaska Marketing Extension Partnership, the Alaska Native Arts Foundation, and a museum in Hokaido, Japan.

Each year, Andrew hosts cultural presentations in the Anchorage School District, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center. He has also participated in the “Artist in Residence Program” aboard Holland America Cruise Line. Additionally, Andrew is a drummer in an Alutiiq dance group, Imamsuat.