5. The Shark and Jellyfish Mural: Ancestral Waters

Introduction

This is part of the Seattle Waterfront Popup Mural series, make sure to read about each piece.  Also, if interested, high quality prints are available in the store. 

In “Ancestral Waters,” viewers are invited into a serene underwater realm where tradition and mythology converge. The shark, a guardian of the deep, carries the legacy of its ancestors on its belly. Within these patterns, an ancestor’s face emerges, a silent sentinel watching over the marine world. Crepuscular rays pierce the water’s surface, casting a celestial glow that illuminates the scene, revealing a glimpse of distant land and the rich tapestry of seaweed at the borders. Schools of fish navigate the currents, symbolizing the continuity of life and the flow of cultural narratives across generations. This artwork is a tribute to the enduring spirit of indigenous cultures, seamlessly weaving the past into the present through the powerful medium of formline artistry.

Bill Pfeifer, Jr (Weidaaka Yoodoohaa) is standing next to his Shark mural wrap in Seattle

Inspiration and Concept

The Shark: Personally, the dogfish shark hold a special place in my heart. During a trip to Hoonah with my brother, we stayed with relatives and learned a lot about our heritage. I remember seeing a shark up close for the first time when I was about ten years old. We had been beach seining for an upcoming potlatch party and the shark had gotten caught up in the net.  My relatives shared stories of using dried shark skin as sandpaper for fine carving work, which made the dogfish seem very cool to me.

The Ancestor’s Face: This represents lineage and the presence of ancestors guiding and protecting their descendants. In Tlingit traditions, a tongue sticking out signifies the transfer of knowledge, paying respect to ancestors who passed down their wisdom through generations. The ancestral face in the shark has a tongue sticking out, symbolizing the transfer of knowledge from my relatives in Hoonah, honoring the legacy of story telling, carving, arts, and songs.

You can see the tongue in this seemingly carved out ancestor face

Crepuscular Rays: Often associated with divine intervention or the presence of the supernatural, these rays signify guidance from the spiritual realm, illuminating the path forward. My inspiration for this element comes from my experiences swimming and diving, where I marveled at the reflections and rays piercing the ocean’s surface. During my childhood, my siblings and I would swim out to small islands off the coast, catching waves and seeing the world both above and below the water’s surface. This view, combined with my snorkeling and diving experiences in Hawaii, inspired the inclusion of crepuscular rays in the mural.

The Land Glimpse: This symbolizes the connection between the Tlingit people and their homeland, emphasizing the importance of territory and belonging. We lived along the coast as a people and I was lucky to have that as my upbringing as well.  The view from underwater, reminds us that even if we are away from our home, we can always venture back and it will be there.

The glimpse of land and crepuscular rays emanating

Seaweed in the Border: Seaweed represents life and sustenance, vital resources in the coastal regions where the Tlingit reside. The rich tapestry of seaweed at the borders of the mural highlights the importance of these resources in Tlingit culture.  We would dry it out in the summer sun and then store it for winter consumption.  Another traditional food that I relate back to my trips to Hoonah.

Jellyfish: The colorful jellyfish hold a special place in my heart, symbolizing the delicate balance of beauty and danger in the marine world. As a child, I spent summers with my siblings and I would swim in a cove teeming with jellyfish. We would have jellyfish fights, throwing the harmless white jellyfish at each other while avoiding the stinging red ones. This playful yet cautious interaction with jellyfish left a lasting impression on me. In the mural, the jellyfish are depicted with a gradient effect, adding depth and vibrancy to the ocean scene. Their presence in the artwork not only enhances the visual composition but also serves as a reminder of the wonder and complexity of the underwater world.

Closeup of the jellyfish as it swims

Schools of Fish: These symbolize abundance and community. Fish are central to Tlingit subsistence and are often featured in the art to represent prosperity and the cyclical nature of life. This element also brings back memories of teaching my wife to fish, where she kept feeding the fish but not catching any, creating a humorous and cherished memory.

Design and Process

In creating this piece, I experimented with gradients to bring the jellyfish and ocean to life, adding depth and vibrancy. The underbelly of the shark features designs inspired by Pueblo and Navajo pottery, reflecting my wife’s Navajo heritage and integrating elements of southwestern art with traditional Tlingit formline artistry.

My goal was to infuse the piece with vitality while maintaining focus and avoiding a cluttered appearance. The school of fish in the mural was designed with subtle reflections and illumination, kept abstract to ensure they did not distract from the primary subjects—the jellyfish and shark. I referenced bright white lacing, similar to cartoon styles, to depict the reflected light on the ocean floor. The shadows of the rocks and the shark were carefully projected to add depth to the image.

In these murals, I aimed to make the images come to life

Framed print of “Ancestral Waters”

, focusing on shading and gradients to give the appearance of traditional carvings coming to life. For relief cuts like the trigon or split U, I added shadows to achieve this effect. While painting or using rasterized graphics would allow for blending, this project required scaling, so I used vectors. This is why the cel-shaded technique is prevalent across this mural series.

This technique is new to me, and I plan to integrate it more into my future works. The jellyfish, with their gradient effect, add a dynamic and vibrant element to the ocean scene, enhancing the overall composition.

Conclusion

“Ancestral Waters: The Legacy Beneath the Waves” is more than just a mural; it is a tribute to the enduring spirit of indigenous cultures. Through the powerful medium of formline artistry, it seamlessly weaves the past into the present, honoring the legacy of my ancestors and the rich cultural heritage of the Tlingit people. This artwork invites viewers to explore a serene underwater realm where tradition and mythology converge, celebrating the continuity of life and the flow of cultural narratives across generations.

Previous Mural Description: 4. The Orca’s First Journey

Next Mural Description: [coming soon]

Head back to the Seattle Waterfront Popups blog

Check out the awesome prints available in the store