Daniel R. Smith (Swinomish) recently inherited a family heirloom—a bent wood bow carved by his grandfather, Benjamin Adam Williams, in the 1950s for his son Terry, an influential advocate for climate action. Inspired by the bow's materials and origins, Smith conceived a living installation titled “Unbowed” to reflect the enduring nature of the land and people.

“Unbowed” consists of four Oregon Ash saplings planted in a circle and tied to the ground, forced into graceful, bow-shaped arcs. The tree crowns each point in the four cardinal directions, North, South, East, and West. The resulting cluster is a living compass, a commentary on where we’ve been and where we’re going.

About the artist:

Daniel R. Smith (Swinomish) is a Seattle artist, graphic designer, and design curator whose work encompasses collage, sculpture, photography, and installation, including the ongoing “nanoforest” project that connects his upbringing on the Tulalip Reservation to life in gentrifying Seattle. He has exhibited at venues such as the Center on Contemporary Art and the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and his work is part of permanent collections at institutions like SF MoMA and Yale University.