North Star Artists
WELCOME TO THE NORTH STAR ARTISTS SPACE!
Statment & Curriculum Vitae
Sekio Fuapopo
We all believe in the Truth, although I trip on the ocean, stuff I see, stuff that glimmers, like hummingbird feathers.
Born in Utulei, Tutuila, Amerika Samoa in 1947, Sekio was raised and educated in California. When he was 17, he visited his painter grandmother, Lita in Leone, Samoa. He is influenced by the traditions of art and culture of his heritage: tapa cloth imagery, tattoos, sea shells, patterns. In making his art, his western education is woven with tradition.
John Rampley
I draw from the inspiration of the abstract patterns in nature-rocks, snakeskin, and feathers. My biggest influences were my granddad and nature.
Born in California in 1936, John lived with his grandparents until he was 5 years old. His subsequent move to San Francisco was an adjustment; he had spoken Finnish with his grandparents and had been part of their small Finnish community. John’s bond with the land and nature came from his grandfather, a farmer and old world craftsman-a violin maker, musician, master carpenter, metal smith and blacksmith.
George Duran
Looking into cultures has influenced my art. I gravitated toward my Indian blood. The imagery of all early cultures is similar, as in Indian, Oceanic, African, and European. All relate to the spirit. What is important is the spirit. That is what we try to express in our art. We all speak of the spirit and it’s meaning.
Born in 1944, George was influenced by the work ethic of his father, a Filipino farm laborer. Working the fields in Northern California with his father gave him a respect for nature and a love of the land. His mother told him stories of his grandmother, a Shawnee Indian woman. This kindled an early interest in his Indian heritage. Being a “breed” created an awareness of his dual cultural heritage, and a realization that what is important is the sameness of the spirit.
George Shuey
My work seeks to draw extractions from nature, archetypal forms, and symbols. The unknown aspects of our nature can be revealed through an inner search for the unknown within ourselves. Automatic writing, form, and mark within the work seeks to reveal a greater understanding of nature, ourselves and the universe in which we live.
Born: 1947 San Francisco, Ca.
