Waxhaw Spirit

“Waxhaw Spirit” was selected for The Waxhaw Sculpture Walk in Waxhaw, North Carolina for 2024. I carved the large red cedar slab (8 feet tall) into a stylized depiction of Native American Indians. In particular, it is a monument remembering the Waxhaws and the region’s unique heritage, history, and culture. My ancestors, John and William Bartram, had memorable and pleasant experiences with Native American Indians in North Carolina during the 18th Century. In turn, I strive to show this spiritual connection through my artwork. 

The Waxhaw were a Native American Tribe who lived in present-day counties of Lancaster, South Carolina; and Union and Mecklenburg in North Carolina, around the area of present-day Charlotte. They were related to other nearby Indigenous peoples, such as as the Catawba  and the Sugeree. The Waxhaws were referred to as “flatheads” by early explorers and other natives. This nickname no doubt came from the tribes harmless practice of placing small sandbags on the foreheads of infants, resulting in wide-set eyes and a reshaped, flat forehead. This gave the Waxhaw a distinctive look, with wide eyes and sloping foreheads, which was said to give the Waxhaw a hunting advantage.

You can view “Waxhaw Spirit” in downtown Waxhaw, N.C. until March 2025. Moreover, I created videos of the making and installation of each sculpture on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1Br9FWdfXU