Huk Yuunsk (David Lang)
Photo by Rodkey at Ravendancer Creations in Metlakatla, Alaska
My name is Huk Yuunsk (David Roger Lang) and I am a Tsimshian artist from the Gisbutwada Clan specializing in Northwest Coast design. I was born in Juneau and my family ties in Alaska are primarily in Metlakatla and Sitka. After moving to Olympia, Washington as a teen, I studied illustration with a strong influence from the counter culture worlds of skateboarding, graffiti and punk rock/ DIY scene of Olympia. After a brief career in graphic design, I became fascinated with the world of tattooing and learned to tattoo at Tiki Tattoo of Lacey, Washington in 2001. I continued to work in Washington at House of Tattoo in Tacoma and Lit Fuse Tattoo in Olympia, which was very much a second home until it became my workplace and a huge influence on how I look at tattooing and tattoo shops. I am eternally grateful to these shops for beleiving in me and the people I was fortunate to meet, work and travel with.
I moved back to Juneau in 2009, and shortly after began studying Formline design in the Tsimshian style under Abel Ryan, who learned under Jack Hudson in Metlakatla. I studied the forms and rules by drawing, painting and eventually carving in bas releif style with panels and graduating to larger projects like rattle, spoon and mask carving. While learning with Abel, he was inclusive of Sm'algyax in the process, and how the imagery and language connect to the land and culture. I combined the knowledge I had gained with my strong foundation in traditional American tattooing, splitting my focus between the two styles with an increasing demand for Northwest Coast designs in custom, traditional and family crest styles. I've been fortunate to study Northwest Coast Art History and Sm'algyax, the language of the Tsimshian at the University of Alaska, Southeast under Dr. Mi'quel Dangeli and continue to study with the Juneau Sm'algyax Learner's Group.
After several years of work and study, I've made Northwest Coast design my primary focus. It is my intent to use my experience in professional tattooing and my experience and study in Northwest Coast design to bring exposure to the Indigenous Tattoo Revival and help establish a language in professional tattooing that represents the cultures and art of the Northwest Coast in a responsible manner. As an Alaska Native artist with 18 years experience tattooing professionally, I am in the unique position of having my feet firmly planted in both worlds and it is my goal to help build a language of understanding between the two. I continue to live in work in Juneau with my wife Emily Rodkey Lang and our son, Gunnar. After helping open High Tide Tattoo in 2009, I had the opportunity to buy it in 2011, working hard to make it a world class shop and it has since been home to an awesome crew consisting of Devon Blue, Milo Irish, Emily Rodkey and Shara Kay, as well as a temporary home to several great guest artists from around the country. The shop works tattoo conventions regularly around the country and travel often to work, learn and bring their knowledge home, for our customers. We feel this is essential to progress as artists in an isolated place and are establishing High Tide on the national and international convention scene.
. I am eternally grateful to all of the shops, their owners and my customers for believing in me and supporting me along the way, with specific mention to Marco Hernandez, Travis Puckett, David "the Sarge" Moeherke, Curtis James, Big Josh Stanley, Gordon "Wrath" McCloud, Brad Ramsey, Mark Misoda, Joshua Brown, Katie Williams, Andre Ortego, Stacie Jacott, Jorge Flores, Jack Marchant, Devon Blue, Milo Irish, Shara Kay and my wife, Emily Rodkey. I am equally grateful for my Alaska Native Art teachers, artists and culture bearers and cohorts: Abel Ryan, Dr. Mi'quel Dangeli, Mike Dangeli, Lance Twitchel, Gary Lang, Ronnie Fairbanks, Alfie Price, Ricky Tagaban, Gamaas Bolton and Ravendancer Creations and the beautiful people of the Northwest Coast. N'toyaxsut nuun- I am bound to you