Artwork copyright Barry Herem. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Gonakadet, 1998

Barry Herem
American (born 1941)

Location: Toppenish High School, Toppenish

About the Artwork

Gonakadet is a cast paper artwork created by non-Native artist Barry Herem. The composition is inspired by the traditional designs and oral history of Native American coastal cultures in the Pacific Northwest. Herem notes that the Gonakadet myth is "found among the Tsimshian, Tlingit and Haida peoples [of British Columbia and Alaska] and concerns the story of a sea-monster who is a transformed human being. It is a complex and varied story, but for modem people the sighting of Gonakadet (or Konakadeit) either in his monster form, or in the form of his splendid undersea house which sometimes rises above the waters, means the acquisition of wealth and good fortune."

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

About the Artist

Northwest artist Barry Herem creates sculptures inspired by the forms and symbolism found in the Native American artistic traditions of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Herem is a non-Native artist. He was born in Michigan, grew up in Portland, Oregon, and has lived in Seattle since 1964.