Midnight In A Perfect World: Ya Tseen
photo by Merritt Johnson
Ya Tseen is an alias of Nicholas Galanin, a multi-disciplinary artist who's one of the most vital voices in contemporary art. Born in Sheet’ka (Sitka, Alaska), Galanin is of Tlingit and Unangax̂ heritage and he creates from his perspective as an Indigenous man. Spanning sculpture, video, installation, photography, jewelry, and music, his multimedia works call for an accounting of the damages done to land and life by unfettered capitalism while advocating for Indigenous sovereignty and racial, social, and environmental justice for present and future generations. Following releases under the names Silver Jackson and Indian Agent, among other pseudonyms, Nicolas' debut album as Ya Tseen titled