Artwork copyright Ken Lundemo. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Ken Lundemo. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Patriarch II, 2000

Ken Lundemo
American (born 1931, died 2024)

Location: Anacortes Middle School, Anacortes

About the Artwork

Patriarch II is a ceramic and wood sculpture created by artist Ken Lundemo. His early memories fishing with his father during the Great Depression of the 1930s inspired this piece. He notes, "My Dad was supporting our family fishing during the day and selling the fish around the neighborhood in the evening. Times were tough but fresh salmon brought to the door of those homes in the North end of Tacoma was hard to refuse. . . I have fished salmon all my life on Puget Sound and the waters of Washington State and have come to have a great respect for the history and culture of the Native Americans and their relationship with the salmon in this region. The life cycle of the Pacific salmon is truly awe-inspiring and it is easy to understand why they have been revered through the centuries. Salmon· have provided nutrient for the forests and waters of the North West as well as food for generations of peoples since the Ice Age."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Anacortes School District.

About the Artist

Washington artist Ken Lundemo (1931-2024) created sculptures combining wood, metal, stone, and ceramics. Raised and educated in Tacoma and Bremerton, Lundemo earned an Associate of Arts degree from Olympic College, in Bremerton, after serving four years in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s. He later returned to Olympic College to study ceramics in the 1980s. He also learned welding, woodworking, and stone carving over the years. His home and studio were located on twenty acres of woodlands in South Puget Sound, where he also kept a Japanese-style anagama (wood-fired) kiln.