Master carver James Madison Pasiukes tells the story of thousands of years and hundreds of generations through his work — proving his people are not petrified .
Master carver James Madison Pasiukes tells the story of thousands of years and hundreds of generations through his work — proving his people are not petrified .
BY STEPHANIE REGALADO
deep into James ’ soul , pushing him forward and encouraging him to break all the rules to bring a modern twist to his work . “ It lit a fire in my belly to keep trying new things and to be different from others .”
But that edge and that difference began to bud within James long before his grandfather spoke those powerful words . “ My dad has been the main mentor of my life ,” says James . “ He carves , but he is an abstract painter .” When James was a boy , his father , Richard Madison , was in college , taking art classes and bringing home what he learned . “ Picasso , Dali , Cubism , Surrealism , Escher , and Van Gogh were all laid out in front of me ,” he says . “ I read how Picasso learned African art to incorporate into his European art background , and I thought l could put my own twist on it , to further study European art in order to complement my Indian art background .” After graduating from Everett High School and Everett Community College , James elevated his understanding of fine art , earning his degree from the University of
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