HENRY BEN

Ben Henry Jr., age 31, is the son of Loreene and Ben Henry, well known Iroquois carvers. In keeping with the matrilineal system of the Iroquois, Ben's clan affiliation Turtle is traced through his mother's family line - Cayuga Tribe, Turtle Clan. His father is of the Onondaga Tribe, Deer Clan.
As an artist, he has derived not only inspiration, but technical skills and creativity from his parents, both well known artists who imparted to their children their skills and their spiritual heritage.
Ben Jr. has been carving since he was 14 years old. And like his parents, his stone carvings express the natural and mystical world of the Iroquois.
Works by Ben Jr.'s two brothers, Leroy, who began carving at the age of 10, and Clifto, who began carving at the age of 9, can be seen in galleries in Canada and the United States.
Their father began carving at an early age. His brother Roy liked to visit their paternal grandfather Tom Harris, a fine wood carver who specialized in the traditional Iroquois ceremonial masks. These visits stimulated an intense interest in mask making for Ben and Roy. Roy Fish, their father, resumed his own mask making tradition when he learned that his sons were serious about traditional mask carving. Ben and Roy progressed in their ability by working under the guidance of their father and grandfather.
The entire Henry family have been carving in stone for several years. They acquire steatite (soapstone) from North and South Carolina, Maryland, and lately from Brazil, and like to carve expressive eagles, ancestor faces, and false face masks.