Gourd Art

Gourd Art by Ty

Considering all that I create, I think that my "No Face Ancestor," Lenape Gourd Art, maybe the dearest to me. This gourd art is a creation from my heart that was inspired after many years of meditation. Gourds take many years before they can be created into another form, from the time that I hold the seed in my hand and place it in the fertile soil, as I watch it grow and take shape. There are times that I stare at the form that it takes, and it speaks to me and tells me what it should be. The gourd's seed carries my ancestors; it brings the past, then it continues to give life; it provides beauty; it is a gift.

Each seed has the mark of its ancestor, and each gourd influences the past. I think of my ancestors as I plant the seed in this fertile soil, and I give thanks that I can be a part of a long creation process. There are times when I hold the gourd in my hands for many hours before it speaks to me and describes what it should be. Sometimes, I can turn it into a vessel or a rattle, but other times when I hold the gourds, they inspire me to become a Lenape "No Face Ancestor." This art is a long tradition among the Lenape. Whenever we create our likeness of any living creature, past or present, we never put a face on it. We do not believe that it is our place to make any likeness of any face or any creature. Only the creator has the privilege of doing so. The "No Face Ancestor" art helps me keep this tradition alive. However, it also provides me with a unique opportunity to explore my artistic ideas about translating its message into my artwork. I create something different without losing its importance to me, my people, and everyone who communicates with it.

The circle has always been important to the Lenape. We use circles to represent the sun, the moon, the cycles of the seasons, and the life cycle from death to rebirth.

We Lenape use repeated symbols and circles to represent birth, death, rebirth, and the transition from one world to the next.
Elaborate designs and symbols of harmony, balance, and peaceful interaction represent all living beings on earth. Lenape designs represent the sacred cycle of life (birth, death, rebirth). Lenape designs represent four directions (north, south, east, west). Our designs depict the elements (air, water, fire, earth) and connecting points for Mother Earth and Father Sky and, the center of it all, representing ourselves and how we connect with all of our elements. Each direction offers its lessons and represents by various colors that have meaning to our lives.
We create the Native American designs to honor people who truly understand the more profound sense of thought, nature, and life.

We understand that all of life moves in a circle. We create beautiful circular designs to more deeply connect with our natural environment. We meditate on the design and deeply connect with nature.

Our people instinctively know that our thoughts can sometimes mask the more profound messages from our hearts. The Lenape uses deep symbols to uncover the deeper meanings of our hearts and assists in observing our motivations in life in connection with the grand scale of what the Creator has in mind for us.

We Lenape have profound respect and understanding for the representation of the circle. We know that all things are connected and united by the circle. By incorporating the circle as a tool, we begin to understand the connectedness of the Creator and our lives.

Focusing on intricate circular symbols and their beauty allows our mind to be creative, and our thoughts begin to be closer to being one with nature.

Up close and in detail view