23/06/2026
‚Headwaters‘ is a sculptural work by Tanya Lukin Linklater, newly conceived for her solo exhibition „Crested“ at Portikus. The work combines bentwood and beaded strings in gradations of blue, green, and yellow that evoke the estuaries of Kodiak Island, where her Sugpiaq homelands lie.
The title, ‚Headwaters,‘ refers, among other meanings, to the highest point of a watershed where a river begins. In Lukin Linklater’s practice, these geographical formations function as carriers of memory and ways of knowing that have been disrupted through histories of violence. Beadwork plays a central role in this work, referencing Indigenous women’s artistic craft practices – forms of cultural expression cultivated in domestic spaces that have often gone unacknowledged in historical accounts.
These questions of cultural continuance and transmission extend throughout the exhibition „Crested.“ Drawing on Sugpiaq visual practices and methodologies, Lukin Linklater considers how relationships, cultural practices, and ways of knowing endure despite colonial violence and institutional forgetting.
„Crested“ is on view until 30 August. Come and visit us Tuesday – Friday, 12 am to 7 pm & Saturday/Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm. We are looking forward to welcoming you!
Tanya Lukin Linklater, ‚Headwaters,‘ 2026. Installation view of „Crested,“ Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 2026. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Robert Schittko.
