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Photo Credit: David Dietrich

Artist
Joshua Adams (Primary)
Title

False Faced God

Date
2015 - 2016
Century
21st century
Medium & Support
Carved cedar
Style
Cherokee
Object Type
Wood
Class System
Decorative Arts & Design
Class 1
Sculptural
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds provided by 2017 Collectors' Circle member Vito Lenoci
Accession Number
2017.31.01
Copyright
In Copyright
© Joshua Adams
ON VIEW
Description

Mask in the shape of a face with multiple smaller faces carved into the eyes.

“The original concept for the mask was directed at addressing the lack of a godhead figure within Cherokee culture. Knowledge of the ancient Cherokee religion and practices vary from clan to clan. Our belief in a god or gods seemed directed toward nature and our place within nature. The sacred number 7 is referenced in the actual number of faces within the piece, and is used in reverence. 7 layers of existence, god living on the 7th plane, 7 sacred clan houses. The piece also represents unity within the universe, separate faces ultimately returning to the highest form of enlightenment. The wood itself (cedar) is considered holy by the Cherokee, and was used for medicine and other sacred practices. I wanted to explore Cherokee spirituality prior to European contact.”  

[Source: Joshua Adams]

Label History

Intended for display rather than ceremony, this intricately carved mask by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artist Adams is an imaginative rendering of the divine creator in Cherokee lore. Adams depicts the figure with a third eye and seven faces—a sacred number for the Cherokee—to signify enlightenment and awakening. By carving faces within faces, the artist expresses the interconnectedness of all living things, a central belief in Cherokee culture. He incorporates elements of traditional maskmaking, such as the use of cedar, considered a holy wood, while also expressing his unique voice by creating fresh imagery and innovative forms.

Exhibition Title: Asheville Art Museum: An Introduction to the Collection
Label Date: 2021
Type: Catalogue Entry
Written by: Carolyn Grosch

Cherokee carvings of wood or stone bend and mold tradition into imaginative representations of a nonlineal world. Joshua Adams’s (born 1982) masks contort wood into both terrifying and hilarious ceremonial modern artifacts. Carving permits the Cherokee artist to meld tradition, imagination, and philosophy in order to entertain, teach, and honor. Making use of the earth’s elemental properties, carvers interpret the story from their source material and translate it for their audience with grace and originality.

Exhibition Title: Asheville Art Museum: An Introduction to the Collection
Label Date: 2021
Type: Catalogue Entry
Written by: Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

Additional Images


Remarks:21:17

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Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:

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