Rande Cook’s Dzunukwa is a far cry from the monster of old. His Dzunukwa is beautiful, feminine, young, and her hair is neatly tied in a bun to show her beauty. She gently touches her shoulder, as she carries a basket on her back, that is open on the bottom.
Of the story of Dzunukwa, the artist says, "The Kwakwaka'wakw considered the Dzunukwa to be slow and dimwitted. She tried to capture children, but never succeeded. She lived alone, deep in the forest, and away from all villages."
Rande feels that we live in a society where image is everything and he dedicates this print to the beauty that lies within all women. He remarks, “The burst of colour surrounding her is the beauty of life embracing her. She is now alive, surrendering to the past and embracing her own power.”
As an interesting sidenote, Linda Rogers, Poet Laureate, interviewed Rande Cook for a magazine article, during which he related to her the story of Dzunukwa, in turn, inspiring her to write this poem:
You expect an old woman,
way past her stale date,
dragging her wrinkled
breasts on the sidewalk,
curdling her milk; but I’m
as new as the weeds that
grow through the cracks in
the pavement, the young
loons singing on artificial
lakes; and I will, yes, I do
keep coming back from my
time in the woods. Huuu
uuuuuuuuuu. I come with
the animals chased from the
forest. I come with my hunger,
my thirst for justice. I come
with my old friends, my new-
every-year body painted in
designer colours, Frog spit
on my breast, Susiutl slung
over my shoulders, Star on
my forehead, and always my
blood singing through. Uh-
hooooo. You can’t resist my
lips by Revlon, mouth wide
open, ready to swallow side-
walks, streetlamps, hydroponic
children growing tame in the
garden you think you own.
This limited edition silk screen print "Dzunukwa" by Rande Cook was hand produced by the screen printing process. It is the only limited edition printing of this design. The artist has inspected and signed each copy in the edition. All trial copies of this edition have been destroyed and the printing stencils obliterated.
Published by Cedar Hill Long House Art Publishing.
Rande Cook is an Aboriginal artist from the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation on Cormorant Island, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. His grandparents, Gus and Florence Matlipi, raised him with strong cultural views and ties to his rich native heritage. Surrounded by their teachings and the beauty of land and art, Rande discovered his passion for creativity at a young age.
In 1991, Cook moved to Victoria to attend high school, where his passion for Native art grew stronger. Although he perfected both Aboriginal and western forms of art, he was most drawn to the strong classical form of Northwest Coast art. He practiced the styles of many different nations, but focused primarily on the northern tribes of Vancouver Island.
Rande Cook has worked with many great Aboriginal artists, including mentorships with Native artists Robert Davidson (metal work) and Calvin Hunt (woodworking), and an apprenticeship with master carver John Livingston. He is also skilled at jewellery making, influenced by the work of his brother, William Cook Jr., and his cousin, Patrick Seaweed, who are both jewellers. Most recently, Rande traveled to New York City to study with repousee and chasing master Valentin Yotkov.
Rande Cook’s Aboriginal art works can be seen in many galleries in the United States and Canada, as well as in collections worldwide. He now resides in Victoria where he continues to push himself in his creativity by finding many new inspirations in new mediums.