Photo credit: Courtesy of the artist
Teaching Artist Cohort
2024
Hayden Haynes grew up on the Seneca-Cattaraugus territory in western New York. When he was an adolescent his aunt gifted him a Dremel power tool and explained to him that he could make things with it. He kept Dremel tool into his early 20’s and, after seeing carved antler works by Norman Jimerson, Wayne Sky and Stan Hill Sr., he was inspired to pick up the Dremel and experiment with antlers he had in his possession. After nearly a decade of working with a Dremel, his technical skills reached a level where he began working antler with a Foredom tool.Haynes’ work is about healing -- an expression of Haudenosaunee life today, showing where they come from, where they are today, and where they are going. His work often involves social justice dialogue, and he highlights Indigenous people’s strengths and celebrates their resiliency. He expands a traditional media practice through techniques and aesthetics in the hopes of inspiring others to take up this dying art. One of his goals is to educate people on the historical and cultural significance of not only antler carving the art, but on the material itself. As a child, he was inspired by observing the strength and fortitude of his mother and grandmother - those experiences, coupled with his appreciation of Haudenosaunee women past and present, makes the use of his work a conduit to honor, raise up, and amplify, Haudeonsaunee women as they reclaim their spaces in today’s world.
Hayden Haynes, Seneca-Deer Clan
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